Genre: Thrash/Black Metal
Country: Greece
Questions by: Nick Parastatidis
Answers by: Zion (Bass, Vocals), Zoltan (Drums)
Site: Facebook
1. How
did the transition from Zion to Crossover shape your identity as a band?
Zion: It was a natural progression mirroring the
mental and sonic growth of the band and the changes in the lineup.
2. What
lessons did you take from your 14 year silence before releasing
“Miserere”?
Zoltan: Crossover will exist forever via its musical
creations and the ever-evolving group of people involved in the band and around
it through the years. The Crossover family always grows. Like Heraclitus said: Τα πάντα ρεί(everything flows/changes), so unavoidably the life of
Crossover evolved through the years, ears always wide open to challenging new
music, re-evaluating the old classics, filtering out the essential for
Crossover’s new vision. We feel proud of this progression, we embrace all
change in our lives with a fearless and positive perspective. Miserere has been
evolving for a long time now, its songs changing shape until the final release
on October 31st 2025.
3. How do
you see your role within the Greek Black Metal?
Zion: Greek Black Metal is and forever will be a very
special scene with amazing bands from the distant past into the far future. We
are proud to be part of it.
4. The
Evros wildfires inspired the album cover — how do you balance tragedy and
rebirth in your music?
Zoltan: Through the ashes new life is born. We bow in
awe in front of the gigantic and unbeatable force of the earth. We lived
through total devastation and destruction by fire. And on the next day we
became new. We faced the future with stubborn will to live long enough to see
our vision come to life. Persist, Resist, Evolve.
5. “Miserere”
conveys righteous indignation — what injustices or existential struggles fueled
this creative anger?
Zoltan: Injustice is something we live with every day,
within and outside this country, which we call our home. Exploitation and
poorly paid work is a form of violencve that diminishes human dignity.
Injustice, together with the lack of punishment for many wrongdoers, people of
authority that get away with crime and everything that makes life miserable and
rougher than it should be -especially for the less privileged- in our
birthplace country, fuels us with anger and determination to move forward
whether we get help from the state or not. People should unite and be alert.
Read about the history of their land and the world. Without fear. Knowledge is
power.
6. How
does Nikos Kazantzakis’ philosophy resonate with your lyrical and musical
vision?
Zion: Nikos Kazantzakis is a personal favorite and a
huge influence. I consider his work «Ασκητική / Salvatores dei - ΟιΣωτήρεςτουΘεού» to be perhaps the greatest piece of modern Greek
writing. Written in 1923 and first published in 1927. He processed Nietzsche,
Bergson and Hegel. He explored the idea that within every man there is a god
that represents personal independence and a driving force for man to rise
spiritually and ethically and create something new while the old decays.
7. What
led you to blend Thrash elements into your Black Metal foundation on this
record?
Zoltan: We love all aspects of the extreme metal
sound, and we grew up on European and American Thrash Metal, so it came
naturally when the mood of the songs was calling for fast and loud expression
temper. Nonetheless, it is not a new element in the Crossover discography.
8. How
did Wrath’s participation on “The Unreconciled Dead” influence the atmosphere
of the album?
Zion: Wrath is an old friend of the band, and he is
well aware of our admiration for his artistic expression outlets, especially
Dodsferd and Nadiwrath among others. Wrath is also an amazing poet and his
narration at the beginning of our new album “Miserere” is an honour for us and
an excellent and inspiring opening for the devastating blackness that follows
right after.
9. Why
revisit your symphonic past in “A Song of Crows,” and how does it fit into your
current sound?
Zion: Why not?! Seriously though, symphonic elements
just like all other sonic elements from Crossover’s discography, as far back as
“Demo 2000”, they are all important pieces of our dark sonic puzzle. These
elements connect our past to our future. They are arrows in our quiver,
essential tools in our hunt for new territory across the vast seas of darkness
that surround us.
10. What
was your vision with John Ampatzoglou’s production, steering away from digital
construction trends?
Zion: Our intention was to capture and expose the
directness and raw energy of our new songs. The recording process has been a
long and creative one. All members have contributed to the final epos, with
their own evil touch on the raw backbones of these songs. Ideas have been
heavily processed inside and outside of the studio with the well-known
Crossover sense of mischief. We took our time to ensure the final result is
true to our legacy and fully conveys our vision, filtered by life on this
multi-faceted society and planet.
John Ampatzoglou and Waves Studios are a very reliable
outlet for rehearsing, recording and producing music in our hometown
(Alexandroupolis, Greece). It is a very cozy environment for us and that’s
where we also did some vital work on the Hocus project.
11. How do
you maintain authenticity while evolving your sound for modern audiences?
Zoltan: Authenticity either comes naturally or is not
there at all. Whatever influences we all hold dearly within our souls,
especially from a lifelong listening of metal makes us better while we age. We
cherish our mistakes as they are ways for us to become noble and grateful for
our existence. The truth lies within all of us. Crossover will be true to their
sound and vision. We hope this provides our audience with a life-enhancing
experience too.
12. Covering
Astarte’s “The Ring of Sorrow” was a powerful gesture — how do you see Maria’s
legacy living on through your music?
Zion: Maria Astarte and Nikos Maiis are good friends
from the early days of the band. We have also collaborated with them in our
previous album “Pythagorized”. Maria’s contribution to the Hellenic metal scene
is invaluable both via Lloth (1995) and later incarnated as Astarte (1997), the
first all-female extreme metal band in Greece to my knowledge. Her stance and
way of life have been pioneering and empowering for women in extreme music and
beyond. She did on many occasions publicly confront the narrow mindedness of
the Greek society on cultural and religious matters and she always stood her
ground on freedom of speech and artistic expression. She remains a leading
example to us all on how to live our lives without compromise on things we
love. She is very much missed and her legacy lives on.
13. What
does continuity and renewal mean for Crossover at this stage of your
career?
Zoltan: Crossover’s driving force is the realization
that we live for the present and that we can all die at any moment. Everything
we all do matters. Connecting with people through our music is a gift of life
for Crossover. Only music lives forever. This creates a sense of responsibility
for honest creation of music that will live on to enhance people’s lives
forever, and also of liberation on a spiritual level.
14. In
“Kosovo” you explore themes of nationhood, promises of prosperity, and
disillusionment. What inspired you to frame these ideas through such stark
imagery, and how do you see the song connecting with audiences who have lived
through similar struggles of identity and renewal?
Zion: I have personally lived in Kosovo for 3 years,
so there is a firsthand experience of the reality there. This song is dedicated
to all similar places where nations are exploited by lack of political
imagination and desire for equality and freedom. Mob like practices take hold
of life endeavors, leaving little space for human creativity and the pursuit of
happiness.
15. Looking
ahead, what message or legacy do you hope “Miserere” and your future work will
leave for the next generation of listeners?
Zion & Zoltan: Self-healing through music. Being
reborn through devastation. Human related disasters are everywhere. Even though
the planet itself explodes in extreme outbursts, we now learn to live with, we
cannot afford to lose hope. Connection with humanity and the animal kingdom.
Miserere is a very optimistic album deep down in its very essence. It focuses
on our way to stand up again, after a huge fall. Like Phoenix rising from the
ashes. Engrave Non Serviam on your soul and evolve. Never forget to vomit all
mind enslaving rules and religions.
Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the Law!!!
Booking / Info: zioncrossover@gmail.com
CROSSOVER LINKS: https://li.sten.to/crossover
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/crossover666
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/crossover_official_gr/
