INTERVIEW: DESERT NEAR THE END

 

Genre: Power/Thrash Metal

Country: Greece

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: Akis Prasinikas (Bass)

Site:Facebook

1. The name 'Desert Near The End' is quite evocative. Can you share the inspiration behind it and what it symbolizes for the band?

We struggled to find a suitable band name for the duration of the 00's and during one particular dark time for the band, when we were very close to quit, a song came into being and its name was "The Desert Near the End"! It was probably our best song until then and it really reinvigorate us and it seemed only natural to name the band after it. As for the story behind it.. out first three albums are concepts and form a trilogy and without delving too much in the actual story let's say that our name symbolize a situation where everything seems barren and dead like when you are lost in a desert and the closest thing to you is your actual End..

In a situation like that the last and only thing you have is hope.. it's like Pandora's box the hope is in the bottom. And so.. bleak as it seems that's what's our name stands for: hope!

2. Your music often explores deep themes like existentialism and destiny. What inspired you to delve into these topics?

When it comes to art, and especially literature, I'm a fan of these kind of stories, although I don't like the word fan.. I love storytelling regardless of its medium and the most common questions or quests behind the lines on all these stories are: is there a God and what is our purpose here. So I like to dwell on the realm of these questions as a reader, a viewer or as musician and creator because unfortunately in the real world all these questions are answered..

3. Is it true that the first three albums form a cohesive story arc? Can you share more about the concept?

Yes, our first three albums form a thematic trilogy indeed and as I already said it's all linked to our name. And as we already mentioned above the themes of existentialism and destiny are beyond present in these albums! So much that some elements of the story doesn't make sense when spoken aloud. Let's just say that in our story a man wakes up, without a memory of who he is and finds himself in a desert without end in sight, under a sun that never sets. He renounce this burning star as not his own and begins his journey to find answers about himself and a sun that guides and not only blinds. Did he find his answers before time finally caught up without him? Probably not.. or the answer was the quest itself! I'm not yet sure!

4. How has your sound evolved since your formation in 2010?

I think it was quite a journey! From the mid tempo approach of "Crimson Dawn" and the double bass hell of "Hunt for the sun" to the ultra heavy full blast of "Theater of War" and from there to the almost analog sound of "Of Fire and Stars" and the bring them all together but still ultra fast approach of "The Dawning of the Son" and now back again to the more epic mid tempo songs of "Tides of Time". We covered a lot of ground these years and used a lot of different techniques in our songs and in the recordings but on the core of our music not much has changed, and what I mean is that our melodies and the way we approach them hasn't changed and that I believe it's the identity of any band.

5. In your new album, you've delved into more epic and lyrical themes while retaining the core elements of existentialism and destiny that define your music. What inspired this direction?

I think it has to do with our decision not to make another concept album. Because, beside the first trilogy that we already talked about, all our albums are concepts. "Of Fire and Stars" is about the stars and how they influenced humanity through art, religion and science and "The Dawning of the Son" is also a standalone concept based on the first trilogy of the red rising saga by Pierce Brown. So we wanted a change and we decided to drew inspiration from some of our favorite books and films. You can find things from Tolkien and Moorcock and films like Conan and Excalibur (with a hint of Camelot 3000!) among other things little more subtle!

6. Your new release is titled 'Tides of Time.' Do you believe we are merely pawns of time and fate, as often seen in ancient Greek and Eastern philosophies, or do you think we can make our own choices and are masters of our destiny, as predominantly believed in Western thought?

It's a bit more complicated.. I believe that we make our choices based upon our education, our upbringing and our unique personal and biological characteristics but at the same time we are some sort of pawns of social and economic structures that luck throw us in.

7. For your new album 'Tides of Time,' what new approaches or elements did you introduce to your music, and how do you feel these changes have impacted your overall sound?

To my ears "Tides of Time" is a full circle for the band as we approached the songs with an attitude we haven't tried since our demo or first album and we re-introduced some elements like mid tempo riffs and parts or even entirely doom metal songs and the extended use of acoustic guitars and keys. For the last decade or more we have always put aggression and speed first but this time we decided early on that we'll go with the slow and heavy approach and with a more epic feeling in mind. Overall I believe that the changes worked and we ended with a more broad Desert near the End sound!

8. What challenges have you faced as a band over the years, and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenges are those that life brought! You know families, kids and work while trying to keep a band alive that has no income or any commercial success. It's difficult and needs some special kind of stubbornness and single minded people to make it work! Probably that's the reason for all the lineup changes.. but Alexandros and I somehow we managed to make it work, so far at least.

9. What advice would you give to aspiring metal bands trying to make their mark in the industry?

I'm not sure if I'm the right man to give advice, it's not like we have made a mark, but if I can give a more general musical advice I would say that if you love your music and most of all if you love creating music then keep working and keep trying to connect with people! Even if you don't make a mark on the "industry" (which I hope you do!) you will make a mark on your life.

10. Are there any upcoming projects or tours that fans should look forward to?

I don't think there is a tour coming but we want to re-record our first album "A Crimson Dawn" that it didn't have the chance of a proper production at the time and it was never actually released! It was a home production and someone can find it only in our lives shows. I think it has some great tracks and especially our namesake song and I'd love to work again on it before we change focus to the successor of Tides of Time.

11. Thanks for your time. This interview needs an epilogue and it is yours to write it….

Thank you for the interview and also a big thank you to all those we spend some time with our music! Follow the path across the Desert!!