INTERVIEW: CRYSTAL TEARS

 

Genre: Heavy metal/Power Metal

Country: Greece

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: Chrisafis Tantanozis (drums)

Site: https: Facebook

1. Your new album marks a significant return after a long period. What did this extended time away from the studio allow you to do creatively and how did it influence the sound and direction of the new music?

True that, it’s a been a while since the last album! Be it the Covid-era, a few side-projects and live-shows here and there, those line-up changes and of course the transactional structure of the music industry that’s been constantly changing trying to adjust to new realities, well, affected us. We could have done it faster, but we decided to do it our way. The world will turn with or without Crystal Tears, so, we decided to go for a product that we would be proud of at the end.

2. After such a long absence, was there any concern that you might have to rebuild your momentum or that fans might have forgotten the band? How did you approach re-engaging with your audience?

Not at all. There is so much music out there, touring, new releases etc. that even if we’d release an album every half a year it would still be a fight. There is so much liquidity in everything and certainly lack of passion. Besides, we were certainly active, we just didn’t have a whole release at hands. Have you noticed that many bands do not produce albums the same frequency anymore?

3. You worked with Grammy-winning producer Matt Hyde on this album. What was the most important lesson you learned from his approach to production, and how did his input shape the final product?

The most important lesson is that if you’re listening to the pro’s you can’t go wrong. It’s very important to know what you want as a band and at the same time realise it’s a team work as well, it’s a balance. You choose to work with someone, because you love and respect his career. And then, when you’re ready to deliver, double-check. The better you deliver the files, the better results you gonna have. It’s so important to focus on the creative part of the sound rather on re-working parts, correcting things and spending time on unnecessary things. And in “Athanato” you can see how fresh and inspiring it sounds… Matt was the man. I can feel he truly loves what he’s doing and treats all of his projects in respect. The way he handled our album, I’ll never forget.

4. The album features a diverse range of styles, from heavy/power metal to hints of thrash and even more melodic rock. How do you, as a band, manage to fuse so many different influences into a cohesive sound that remains uniquely your own?

Well, thank you! I guess it’s a combination of the variety of tastes of each band member – and let me tell you these vary indeed – and the way you record/produce the song and also, let your mixer handle your music. Music influences within the band vary from rock to death metal, all under the flag of Crystal Tears’ heavy metal. Roots are roots. And yes, you should be so good as a sound-engineer to make an album with such a diversity (let’s say from Helena’s ethereal vocals to Antony’s death growls for instance, add George’s power metal voice in-between plus all the other guests) sound so cohesive. And Matt did it; and most important, managed to maintain the character and vision of Crystal Tears. And let me tell you, that  takes perspective and some balls of steel, doesn’t happen by accident at all.

5. The song "Naked" was a collaboration with Helena Josefsson of Roxette. How did this unique partnership come about and what was the process of taking her vision and translating it into a metal song?

Man! This was meant to happen! You see, each time you contact someone, you never know what will happen, that’s the risk and fun of it. With Helena, the communication was really smooth and honest from the very start. We initially contacted her for another Crystal Tears number, but it proved to be not the appropriate key for her. So, she suggested we did something together from scratch. And she passed on an amazing demo song she composed herself and yeah… we “crystaltears-ised” it 😊! She was totally open for a metal production, which gave me the artistic freedom to make it the Crystal Tears metal way. And oh man, what an awesome challenge that was! Constant key changes, tempos, vibes and feelings… That was a very beautiful experience, we’re feeling very happy and proud of the result! We had REAL FUN creating this and man… it shows!

 

6. "All Sins Remembered" has a powerful, technical edge. Could you discuss the musical inspiration behind this track and how it fits into the overall sonic landscape of the album?

I think – or at least I wanna see it this way – “All Sins Remembered” is a kind of tribute to our previous producer R. D. Liapakis. The intro sounds quite a bit Mystic Prophecy style. Other than that, it’s a pretty metal track, heavy tempo, guitars and growling, not for the romantics haha. It was the first song we composed for the album, so it kinda shaped its form more or less I suppose. Lyric-wise it talks about the sins of the past, the love and chances lost. Hmm… so maybe it is for the romantics after all, lol.

7. "Eros & Psyche" is your first instrumental track. What made now the right time to create a song without lyrics, and what story or emotion were you aiming to convey through the music alone?

That came quite effortless. I had that melody in mind, hummed it to the guitarist and there you go. And that melody is so strong that we decided to go without vocals in this one. We unfold the melody in different ways each time inside the song, finishing in a very aggressive way. I think it touches all kind of sentiments from happiness to sadness (we’re using major and minor scales for the music freaks), with lots of dynamics and a climax. We’re currently working on a music animated video showing this love story of “Eros And Psyche” with Helena Vasilaki. Stay tuned.

8. The album includes guest appearances from Mike Wead and George Simeonidis. How do these collaborations with well-known musicians come together and what do they add to the creative process?

We’ve played together with George when they needed help on drums and bass with his legendary metal band from Greece, Sarissa. The guitarist Saki Lyssa Kazakis contacted and me and Alex delivered. And we’re happy to call these guys friends today. So, it was completely natural he guested with some really cool vocals! With Mike, it just happened, we texted him, agreed and he nailed a very sentimental solo his style! What do they add to the creative process? Their vibes, their character! And for us, as a band, this is totally inspiring!

9. Your lyrical themes often touch on deep, mythological, and introspective subjects. Can you talk about the main lyrical inspiration behind the new album and how it ties into the music?

Yeah, this time the lyrics were written by the singer (of course!) and me and fortunately, we shared the same taste more or less. We both love the lyrics dark, maybe a bit extreme too (that “Crawl Into Your Grave” phrase he came up with was so awesome, I couldn’t resist NOT to name the song after it!). And I think we both like the fact we give images to the listener and let him/her decide where they want to take it with their own imagination.

10. You've included two covers on the album, "Nosi Balasi" and "You Could Be Mine." What is the philosophy behind your choice of cover songs, and what makes a track worthy of your reinterpretation?

First of all, we need to like the song, yeah, that’s important… haha! “You Could Be Mine” oh my… we grew up with this song! And it’s the soundtrack of a whole generation… Plus, it’s literally the soundtrack of one of the best action movies ever hehe… Terminator 2! Plus that guitar riff… it makes the song so groovy, mean and dangerous! As for “Nosi Balasi” this is a well-known Filipino rock song of the 80s. We felt we should cover this one as a kind of a “thank you” for the amazing 3 weeks tour we had in the beautiful land of The Philippines! A great experience. A great song that fitted definitely our style, music-wise and lyric-wise.

11. The band has a long history and has been a fixture in the Greek metal scene. How do you feel your sound has evolved over your career, and what does this new album represent in that journey?

Thank you! Once upon a time Tommy from Hallows Eve said to me that the ones that fail are the ones who quit. The fact we’re still here after so many years, obstacles and such, is a success, an evolution by itself. Working with great musicians, having them at home, being their producer and hanging out together is also a sign of “hey – we’re doing something good here”. How could I ever imagine when I was watching Alice Cooper playing arenas and a stadium in Greece that Ryan Roxie (his guitarist) would come over at my place, record, jam and have fun? This album takes us two steps further as musicians and sound are concerned… It’s our most multidimensional album. And I truly feel overwhelmed by the so much positive reactions this far!!! Thank you all for the support, this is your album too, we’re all in this together!!