Artist: Acid Death
Origin: Athen, Greece
Genre: Death Metal, Thrash Metal
Label: 7Hard Records
Link: https://www.facebook.com/AcidDeathGR and http://www.aciddeath.net/
Bandmembers:
Vocals and Bass – Savvas Betinis
Guitar– Dennis Kostopoulos
Guitar– John Anagnostou
Drums and Percussion – Kostas Alexakis
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
First of all thank you very much for taking your time for this interview. As I have to admit, that I never heard of you before I wrote the review for Hall Of Mirrors, I also would like to go back in history…You started in 1989, when the music scene was completely different to the actual one. According to the promotion information of your agency your releases got positive reviews, but you also had to deal with some negative reactions. Can you explain a little bit more in detail the circumstances at that time?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
Hello and thank you for this presentation, we really appreciate it! Yes, it is true. Acid Death is in Metal Scene since 1989, having a 10 years break from 2001 till 2010. That break made us to loose many opportunities over those 10 years but anyway, we are back for sure from 2011, having the second album after the reunion and the 6th official release. The things were of course totally different those past years. We started as a rather typical Death/Thrash band and after 1995 there was a big change in the music style we were dealing with to more progressive/technical forms, adding elements from Jazz and Fusion also. Actually it was a big step for us but only few were familiar with elements like these, you know, the way that Cynic or Atheist were sound like… So, the first negative arrows started to come especially in our own country. For the most of the metalheads Acid Death was something like “music madness”. We continue till 2001 releasing 2 full-length albums but facing also many inner problems we decided to stop… It wasn’t a good idea because, as I told you we lost many good opportunities we could follow…But all those are now past.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
I read that you shared the stage with very famous bands, and that even after your split in 2001 your reputation still grew. From 1989 till 2001 is quite a long time, and for the members of Acid Death the band must have nearly been like a family. How did it feel at that time for the band members to join forces with other bands and to assist younger bands on their musical path? Did you nevertheless stay in contact?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
Actually, yes, Acid Death was something like family all those years. We had the opportunity to share the stage with bands like Kreator, The Haunted, Impaled Nazarene, Children Of Bodom, Mayhem and for sure many smaller acts. Of course the dynamics that the shows had that season was bigger than today, but even the smaller bands had something like “the flame of youth” that was really important. We are really happy to see those bands, especially the smaller ones, to become bigger year-by-year and when someone from that season starts a conversation with us about the entire spirit that was dominated in the shows and the entire way that the audience was acted seeing a favorite band we feel really proud having passed through those days!
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
Consequential next question is for the reunion in 2011. The team has been changed, but it seems you all felt it was the right time to give it another go. What was the inspiration for the comeback album Eidolon (which I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to listen to yet)?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
The reunion of 2011 was something we wanted to do many years ago. We knew that things out there were different and more difficult from early 90s or even the year 2001 we stopped. The team was different from those days having of course finished with everything that made Acid Death stopped 10 years ago. Eidolon was the previous album, the first after reunion and I dare say that we didn’t know what to expect from the audience and the Media. You know, when a band reunites there are many out there who have rather negative opinion on what to expect. Things worked really fine, the album took good reviews, we started to have contact with the Scene again and we finally released the second album from the reunion days. And we plan to continue for many years of course J
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
I rated your new album Hall Of Mirrors with 9,5/10, and also other magazines were very enthusiastic about it. How does it feel to receive such a warm welcome after your long absence?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
It is something like “justification” for us. Acid Death wasn’t a popular band over the years, having a music style more “underground” and “non-popular”. We walk a more solitary way than many other bands out there that play American Death Metal, Swedish Death Metal, or Norwegian Black Metal. Seeing that Hall Of Mirrors takes really good reviews every day and having messages from people who already obtained gives us more courage to continue. You know, it is something like a small child that you see it growing day-by-day.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
The album is out now for one week. Did you already get some reactions of the fans, too?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
Yes, as I told you there are fans who already obtained it having positive comments too. At this point we would like to say a big “Thank You” to everyone has a good word to say on this album!
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
How did the works for the new album Hall Of Mirrors proceed? Did the single band members have specific tasks, like writing lyrics and/or music?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
We worked on Hall Of Mirrors with the same way we were working in the past. Usually someone has the first musical idea for a new song and all together we are processing the entire song. Finally one of us, usually me or Kostas (drums) is writing the lyrics. We always were working like a team, from the very first days of the band. It is very important for every song to have the personal “mark” of every band member.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
As I don’t have the lyrics for the songs of Hall Of Mirrors can you please explain a little bit about the content of the album? Could you describe the album as a concept album, or does each song tell its own story?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
From the first album the lyric themes we have, have to do with the horrible side of life. Stories true or phantastic/novel that could happen to everyone. Hall Of Mirrors is on the same paths. We give enough attention to the lyricism that has to be an important part to every song, even the music style is extreme. We have in plans to create a concept album, we may try the next one to be a concept album.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
I didn’t mention it in my review, but also the album cover is quite amazing. Who was the artist, and what was the creative process?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
Yes, we have the same thought too that it is a really good cover. It’s creator is called Giannis Nakos (Remedy Art Design), he is the same artist who created the album for Eidolon. The entire process wasn’t easy since we were looking for something that would be “to-the-point” without being a total extreme one or to have so much information on it that no one could give attention to what it shows. Giannis made it, having all the lyrics at hands, and created this really pretty cover.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
On your facebook page you explain your style as Progressive Death Metal. In my opinion you are progressive in a way, that you try something new and mix different styles, but for me progressive bands are more the like of Dream Theater or Symphony X, and especially for Progressive Death Metal there is Persefone from Andorra, who, in my opinion, have perfected that genre.
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
Well, of course Dream Theater and Symphony X are Progressive Metal bands. In our case we try to combine the Death Metal genre with many other elements from Jazz till Electro, in some cases. I will agree with you that many metal fans when they hear the word “Progressive” have in mind those bands and some more, e.g. Fates Warning. “Progressive” is a really big notion that includes so many things. Atheist was a progressive band, Death in their latest albums too, Cynic also. Actually all the bands that try to have a “different” way than a “typical” one could be described as “Progressive” in my opinion.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
Talking about genres, what do you generally think about these categorisations? Are they both a blessing and a curse? For me they are quite helpful to discover new bands and also to organise my music collection and create my personal playlists.
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
To categorize Music means to organize Music. It is just a “small bad thing” but very necessary to have the information you have at hands organized. After that I believe that categorization has rather less sense. For a metal fan who likes the new Acid Death album e.g. the fact that the band is called “Progressive” or “Non-Progressive” has small significance.
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
I couldn’t find any announcements for a tour or at least some shows. Is there anything in preparation, maybe also for Germany?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
Yes, we are on the way to arrange the next shows, we will start from Greece and continue searching for a slot for a European tour. We had the opportunity to play in Germany one year ago when we toured with Master (USA), We played in Berlin, Essen and Rostock. Hopefully we will play again soon!
Time For Metal / Heike L.:
So that was my last question. I will definitely dig deeper into your discography and really hope to see you on stage one day. Is there anything left that you want to say to the readers of Time for Metal?
Acid Death / Savvas Betinis:
For one more time Thank You for the great review and the presentation! Hall Of Mirrors is here waiting for you all to give it a chance. All the best to Time For Metal’s readers!