INTERVIEW: CYANIDE 4

 

Genre: Hard Rock/Glam Metal

Country: Greece

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: G.A. Sinn (Rhythm Guitar / Vocals) & Adrian Kyprianos (Drums)

Site: Facebook

1. CYANIDE 4 has been rocking since 2008. What inspired you to form the band, and how has your journey been over the years?

I have been a fan of the 80's hard rock scene and truly worshiping the whole thing, all the bands were at the town were playing completely different staff I wanted to follow what I loved. When the wave of Swedish sleaze hit Europe, I knew it was the time to form a band with those elements. It has been a roller coaster with the ups and downs, but still love doing it with the same passion.

2. What’s the story behind the name "Cyanide 4"?

We were looking for a name that was indicating what we were playing and the first one came to mind was poison hemlock, and the second cyanide. So, cyanide won the battle,then we added the number 4.

3. How would you describe your music style, and do you accept the term 'Glam Metal' to describe your sound? If so, what does that term mean to you and how does it influence your music?

Well we are inspired from some specific genres, glam metal is one of them, but we’re not fully on that direction. I’d say we play 80s hard rock, in a more “punkish” way, with some glam “pepper”.

4. Hard Rock and Glam Metal have their roots in the 80s and 90s, but do you think it's a genre that's stuck in the nostalgia of the past, or can it be revitalized and brought forward with new ideas and sounds? How does CYANIDE 4 see itself fitting into this genre, and what unique elements do you bring to the table that sets you apart from the classic acts of the past? Are there any specific themes, sounds, or styles that you're experimenting with to breathe new life into the genre?

Well, re-inventing the wheel is kind of difficult, someone’s ahead of us for sure, but there are sure great bands of our days, especially from Scandinavia, that had given a ‘fresher’ approach/look on our beloved genre. It will always be nostalgic, because the 80s where the “peak” of entertainment and debauchery, haha! For Cyanide 4, surely, a huge difference -mostly- ‘sound wise’ is the newer technology that can make us sound differently than those 80s bands, but also hold that “essence” of the 80s in our compositions. All the band members come from different musical-backgrounds, so, mixing influences from different backgrounds is inevitable. And that’s something great actually, because if it works -which for us, so far, works really well- can create a kind of ‘musical identity’. That’s what I’d say could discriminate us from other bands of our genre. A modern aspect on Glam Metal, blended with great love and respect for that!

5. Can you tell us about any specific influences or artists that are helping shape your sound?

If we had to name a few, I guess they would be Motley Crue, Crashdiet, Vain, The 69 Eyes…maybe the Cult as well…Lots of great bands, really!

6. How do you think your music will appeal to both old-school fans of the genre and new listeners who may not be familiar with it?

The ‘polished’, modern sound we have achieved on our newer recordings and the ‘not-so-cheesy’ topics we deal with on our tracks is what I think could get the new listeners closer to us, but for the old school fans there’s also plenty of the 80s ‘essence’ to find/listen to, as I mentioned before. It can’t be hidden!

7. Can you name all of your releases so far and share which one you consider your best and which one you consider your worst, along with the reasons for both choices?

There’s no actual thing like worst release, but there are always some things that could have been done better. That’s the case for every musician! Even classic-albums, if you ask the bands that released them, they could have something to talk about, even minor changes…

On the 1^st record we started learning how things work, on the 2^nd we tried improving/upgrading our vision and on and on, accordingly…The latest releases are our best in terms of production/mixing/mastering, for sure. But if we may say that, there’s no worst release and our best is yet to be released…Diplomatic answer, but it’s true. Always try to improve!

8. Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process? Do you collaborate closely on every song or do certain members take the lead?

Well, it depends on who’s got the idea, has more knowledge where the song got its turns, etc.Of course, any ideas of other members can be on the table during the process.

9. What themes do you explore in your lyrics? Are there specific messages or feelings you aim to convey through your music?

Lyrically, the ideas can come from anywhere, different kinds of subjects mirror our world at that time, usually things that happened, true events and rarely fantastic stories.

10. What can fans expect from a Cyanide 4 live performance? How do you engage with the audience during shows?

Surely energy and fun! Seeing and hearing the crowd singing even just a verse or a chorus of one of your songs is remarkable and is the fuel to our “fire”! After all, this is why we do that! We are looking forward to living moments like these all together, anytime soon!

11. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a band in the Greek music scene? How have you navigated those challenges?

The major obstacle in being an independent Hard Rock/Glam Metal band in a country that has a ‘not-so-alive’ Glam-scene is of course financing…And actually it has always been for many bands in the early days or even later on, not having completely to do with the genre they play. Tough start, always! Another challenge for us was always the fact that we don’t live in the same city and had to precisely plan rehearsals in between tight schedules, travel here and there…You know, all the issues that can derive from a ‘distant relationship’! But we are here, so far…

12. How do you navigate personal relationships and dynamics within the band? Has your friendship changed over the years?

Without having read the question “12”, I think the answer has partially just been given above…It’s not easy to ‘staying in touch’ when you don’t meet regularly, don’t rehearse regularly…Don’t drink all together regularly, as well, haha! It’s not that easy, but it shouldn’t be that difficult…It is a constant try and we do for sure have fun when we meet and play together!

13. What does the future hold for Cyanide 4?

We are about to recording a couple of songs for future digital releases we are planning and of course, we are looking forward to hitting the stages once again. More about that will be shared on our social media pages, as soon as possible.

14. Thanks for your time answering my questions. The last words belong to you…

Thank you very much for the hospitality and a thanks to our fans for their support! Hit the following link linktr.ee/cyanide4 for more music and videos from Cyanide 4, featuring also our latest single/videoclip "Gone With The Wind" and spread the word! Rock on lads an’ gals!