INTERVIEW: I ABYSSICK

 

Genre: Heavy/Gothic Metal

Country: Greece

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: Aggelos Seaito (Drums) & Constantin Maris (Vocals, Guitars)

Site: Facebook

1. Can you tell us about the formation of I Abyssick and the initial vision you had when starting the band?

Aggelos:The band was formed back in early 2017 by Constantin (Guitars, Vocals) and me (Drums).Previously we were bandmates. And since that band had just broken up, we decided to join forces and explore the limits on our musical influences and the perspectives beyond that.

Constantin:I Abyssick were informally created by Aggelos and myself after the fruitless attempt of a band we both participated in. When after few months of jamming and experimenting, we realized that we had both the material and the desire to go a step further than just jamming, Makis came to join the band filling the bass position and with him he brought George as a second guitarist.

I'm not sure that there was a certain vision in the first place, at least for me, rather then just play and create music with my friend. Then that turned into plural, but the point was still the same. Play and create music.

2. What do you hope to achieve with the band?

C:I’m not quite sure that the word "achieve" represents to me in any way when it comes to music. Never actually learned music to achieve anything other then expressing myself and for the sake of music itself. I think the same thing still stands for me, I want for the band to play and express whatever comes out from the those five people that consist it. And wherever that leads us, its ok.

A:To compose music that we enjoy listening to. If there are any chances to perform it on stage , that would be a bonus!

3. How did your influences (Nevermore and Paradise Lost) shape the sound of I Abyssick, and are there any other key musical influences that have impacted your work?

A:Even though, they are not our greatest influences, we sound like their bastard child .That’s because we love the heaviness and doom of P.L.The way that Nevermore managed to blend classic heavy metal forms with more technical, extreme and ferocious aspects of our beloved music, is what we actually are trying to do. While listening to the album, you will find various other influences, little fragments….here and there.

C:Both of these bands in my opinion are the two that might stand out a bit more and probably are the ones mostly referenced when it comes to influences. But the truth is, that we can't actually sum it down ‘cause we all listen to so many different things and we somehow manage to embody different elements into what I Abyssick sound or want to sound like.

4. The addition of MakisSel on bass and George Petropoulos on guitar seems to have completed the sound of I Abyssick. What was it like finding these missing pieces, and how did it change the band's dynamic?

A:For almost half a year or more, since the band’s formation, it was just me and Constantine jamming and rehearsing various riffs, ideas and even completed songs. Then we decided to bring along our previous bandmate Makis to take on the bass guitar. One of the things we admire to him ,is his classical music education and perception. And he introduced us to George -a highly skilled and with strange composing ability musician. These two guys were just exactly the seasoning we needed to spice up our cooking!

C: Well, for sure made the whole band thing possible ‘cause until that point, we were just one guitar and drums. Both of them brought a touch of renewal for starters and a whole bunch of fun in the studio. Other than that, both Makis and George are great musicians with a completely different approach and background. So you can add that to the mix as well.

5. How would you describe the musical style of "Ashes Enthroned"?

 

C: No idea ha-ha, we are still trying to find that ourselves as well. At some point someone, can't actually recall who he was, called us something like "Extreme Heavy Doom" and we found that quite fitting. So something like that I guess.

No doubt, doom and some goth elements are there, but you can also find some extreme things in our music with both death and black metal references. We try to keep the music flowing and letting each song go to the direction that comes natural while playing or jamming. If a more groove riff comes out and feels as a natural transition from the previous one, then it's fine with us.

A:Just metal music. A little bit of everything fused but not mashed up. Mission accomplished!

 

6. What themes or lyrical content is explored in "Ashes Enthroned"?

A:“Awaken in a totally destroyed world, before a blinding light…brighter than a thousand suns… You are the only witness left and you roam endlessly in the wastelands. A series of events in the past, has led mankind to its fall. Voices in your head make you think about your mental health, along with strange shadows that keep following you. Standing above a great black hole, you decide to take the leap of faith…And you wake up again, just to realize that the mind works in mysterious ways in order to protect you from the terrible reality ….”

That is the simple resume of the story. It’s up to the listener, to come up with interpretation and conclusion.

C: Probably sanity and humanity and their breaking point. The threshold of what is enough for someone's psych and at what point we all are living during the last decades or so, and if our everyday lives are within the frame of what we can call normal. Where is the line and how far have we crossed it.

7. How was the album received by critics and fans?

C: There are always good reviews and bad ones. Everyone listens to music with a different way and ear. We take both good and bad in consideration as they are, but i think that most of the reviews have a positive tone until now.

A:Surprisingly, our firstborn album did very well and gathered very good ratings.

We didn’t expect the 8/10 from Metal Hammer (Gr) and Dead Rhetoric or even the 9/10 from Metal Temple. Random listeners embraced it and we have already a small but very dedicated fan base, for which we are very grateful!

8. What do you think is the most distinctive or memorable aspect of I Abyssick's music, and how do you hope it resonates with listeners?

C: I would probably say melody and constant harmonies within every song. No matter how aggressive or doomy a song or a part might be, there is always melody or some kind of vocal or guitar harmony going on. 

 

I hope everyone can find something different and something fitting his or her ear and emotion. For me at least that is the most important thing when it comes to the listener.

 

A:I don’t think we can be objective to this question. We love our album, even with its flaws. This question should be put on the listeners, and we would be very curious about the answers…..

 

9. How does it feel to be participating in the GHOSTLANDS & RAVENLANDS FESTIVAL 2025 alongside bands like The Silent Rage, Dragony, Mystfall, and Element Zero?

A:Great! A fantastic metal party with fantastic people and a chance to introduce our music to more people.

C: It is always great to play with others and especially when there is variety sonic-wise. It is also nice to play with friends like The Silent Rage in this case.

 

10. Can you give us a sneak peek of what fans can expect from your performance at the festival? Are there any special surprises in store?

A: We have been rehearsing a lot to be able to give the fans just the best of us. A powerful performance by a well-oiled machine will try to make you stick with the songs.

C:Expect our best of spirit and our 101% on stage performance. As of surprises, be there to find out hahaha!

 

11. Collaborating with other artists can lead to exciting creative exchanges. Are there any bands from the festival lineup that you’d love to collaborate with in the future?

C: It is exactly as you said, collaborating with any musician is exciting, refreshing and unpredictable for sure. It helps both participants grow and also takes them out of their comfort zone musically. I think that we would love to collaborate with each and every one of them.

A:Sure! We had guest vocals on our album, and we are looking forward to do the same on the next one. No one knows what tomorrow may bring….

12. Thank you for answering my questions. The final words are yours.

C: Thank you very much for having us and for finding the time to set this interview up. We wish you all the best. We would be very happy to see you and everybody at GHOSTLANDS & RAVENLANDS FESTIVAL to enjoy and celebrate music.

A:Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity and say a couple of words about the band and our music. Thank you very much for all the good and hard work you are doing all these years for the underground scene.And to all of you out there: spent what you can afford of your time and money to support such great underground efforts such as the Ghostlands&Ravenlands festival. Maybe your next favorite band is there to find out. Or maybe not…You’ll never know ,if you don’t attend.

Metal.