INTERVIEW: TYPHUS

 

Genre: Speed/Power/Thrash Metal

Country: Greece

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: TYPHUS

Site: Facebook

1. You originally formed as Nuclear Terror before changing your name to Typhus in 2019. Could you discuss the decision behind this name change—when exactly did it happen, and did this change of identity signal a corresponding shift in the band's musical style and overall artistic vision?

It was a mutual decision between all of us in early 2019, which we thought would eventually be inevitable. You know, the reason behind this change, was mostly due to the fact that it would be kind of limiting to our music, as the name ‘Nuclear Terror’ would make the listener preconceive us as a purely Thrash band, which in our case is not true. The name ‘Typhus’ gives more artistic freedom, in our opinion. Of course, at the time when we announced the name change, we had some parts and riffs from ‘Fate Weaver’ assembled in very early stages, so this added to our decision to go ahead with changing the band’s name.

2. The name 'Typhus' is intense and immediately conjures up imagery of plague, struggle, and global impact. What is the intended significance or symbolism of choosing a name with such potent connotations? Does it reflect the lyrical themes you explore, or is it more of a statement about the music's impact and energy?

Names such as ‘Typhus’ certainly have a high shock factor, which we like. Additionally, we chose that name over many others, because of the impact it has and the darkness it bears. A fun fact behind it is that we were covering ‘Take no Prisoners’ from Megadeth’s album Rust in Peace at that time, which includes the word ‘Typhus’ in the lyrics, so we came up with that name after that.

3. You released your debut EP, “Contaminated Salvation” (as Nuclear Terror), back in 2014, but your first full-length album, “Mass Produced Perfection”, didn't arrive until 2020. What challenges, member changes, or creative decisions contributed to the six-year gap between these two significant releases? Was that time crucial for solidifying the 'Typhus' sound and lineup?

Well, we have to admit that it was a quite challenging era for the band. Especially because of line-up changes and various technical difficulties during the recording process. Some songs of our debut album were already written before 2013 (apart from Terrorzone and Pride Breaker which are also included in the ‘Contaminated Salvation EP’), but sometimes line-up changes can really delay the whole process of composing. Our drummer Vasilis left the band at that time so the new drummer Dimitris had to learn the tracks, as well as contribute with his ideas. Later on, our guitarist Apollo, also left the band, so pretty much the same thing happened with Chris who took the position after that. In 2017 we entered the studio in order to record/produce ‘Mass Produced Perfection’ and the delays continued with recording issues with the drum parts, which we eventually had to re-record. On the other hand, after all this time, I could tell you that I am grateful that we had this gap, because it worked as a test to all of us to confirm that we really wanted to take this path and dedicate ourselves to music. It definitely helped us take a more mature approach to our sound too.

4. Expanding on the delay to release an album, were there specific external factors—be they financial hurdles, limitations within the local Greek metal scene, or perhaps the way the international market perceives bands from Greece—that influenced the pace of your journey?

Financial difficulties have always been relevant for most Greek bands. We are no exception. However, I cannot tell you that the reasons behind the before-mentioned delays are financial. Of course, if there was more available budget it would be helpful. There are many other situations on which the lack of funds had a considerably heavier impact, such as touring, or promoting our album. But you know, we cannot complain. Everything happens for a reason after all and all the hardship sometimes works in your favor.

5. Looking back at “Mass Produced Perfection” (2020), what was the primary musical goal you wanted to achieve with that record, and how satisfied are you with the final result today? Is there anything you look back on and feel you would approach differently now, heading into “Fate Weaver”?

We are definitely still very proud of that record. There are many elements that were featured in ‘Mass Produced Perfection’ that eventually developed in an integral part of our sound. With that album, our main purpose was to set the stage. We wanted to express ourselves and lead the listener on a relentless futuristic journey, which I think it is achieved. ‘Mass Produced Perfection’ is definitely rawer than ‘Fate Weaver’, which probably adds to the directness of the album. I think that we all agree that we would not have a different approach, as we see this record now. It reflects the musical vision we had at the time, after all.

6. The title of your debut, “Mass Produced Perfection”, sounds like a powerful critique of contemporary society. What did the band intend to convey with this phrase? Was the album's title intended as commentary on the pressure to conform, the illusion of flawlessness, or perhaps the 'perfection' that is churned out by corporate or political machines?

That is exactly the main idea behind our debut’s title. Of course it is ironic. Everything is constantly under limitations and deviations are suppressed, in order to achieve a ‘convenient’ illusion of flawlessness, as you mention. This idea is not only applied on corporate level, you can also see that it occurs in music as well. There was a time when everything had to be super-polished with no human factor in it at all.  You can notice this idea in many other social situations as well.

7. Your debut album was released by Punishment 18 Records. How did this partnership with the Italian label come about, and how has this relationship contributed to the band’s career trajectory and visibility in the European market?

We are very happy with our collaboration with Punishment 18 Records. Of course, it helped the band evolve and reach markets we never could have reached on our own. Eventually though, we chose to not continue our partnership on our newest work, not because we were disappointed with their work and support, but mainly due to the change in our style and our target audience. The guys from Punishment 18 are excellent professionals and have helped a lot of bands to overcome their obstacles.

8. Your sophomore album, “Fate Weaver”, is set for release on October 10th with Sleaszy Rider Records—a new label partner for you. What prompted the decision to partner with Sleaszy Rider for this album, and what are you hoping to achieve with them as you release the album?

Partnering with Sleaszy Rider Records felt like the right move for Fate Weaver. We know the label for a long time, as it is one of the most historic labels in Greece. After the conversation we had with Tolis, we were convinced that Sleaszy Rider Records would help Typhus achieve their potential. We hope that we will have a long lasting collaboration, and hope for the best!

 

9. Musically, how would you compare “Fate Weaver” to “Mass Produced Perfection”? What are the key new elements you introduced, and did you intentionally push certain boundaries this time around?"

Personally I think that ‘Fate Weaver’ is a more solid and complete work. We are definitely very proud of ‘Mass Produced Perfection’, do not get me wrong. But we had a better time composing the new album and trying new elements, which eventually translates as a more ‘confident’ album. As we already have told, we are Heavy Metal fans after all, so we felt more familiar going in that way, and eventually had an album with more expression. There are many new elements that are featured in ‘Fate Weaver’. First, we introduced a new layer to our music, by adding orchestral backgrounds here and there, or even whole parts. In my opinion this added a very interesting texture to our sound, as well as giving it a new dimension. Additionally, as you might have noticed, we featured many mid-tempo songs to the album, which makes a great contrast to the faster ones, in order to emphasize them better. We also changed the vocal approach slightly, by writing vocal lines with greater duration than the thrashy fast paced vocal lines that ‘Mass Produced Perfection’ had. To be honest, it was not intentional. In fact we gave more space to the composing process, to see where it goes, so the transition felt absolutely natural to us.

10. From your debut, “Mass Produced Perfection”, to the upcoming “Fate Weaver”, how has your overall lyrical focus evolved? What new concepts, narratives, or perspectives were most important for you to explore this time around, and what do the lyrics of “Fate Weaver” generally communicate to the listener?

We tried a different approach in our new album, compared to ‘Mass Produced Perfection’. As you might have noticed, the perspective in our previous work was to dive into various lyrical themes, such as religion, oppression, war etc. through various historical events. What changed now is that the majority of the lyrics are inspired from fantasy books, movies or even video games. So, in ‘Fate Weaver’, we explore some darker themes, such as the decline of human mind and critical thinking, self-punishment, mind control etc. through custom-made stories, inspired by the above sources, but have direct application in the real world. In that way, we hope that we create an immersive experience for the listener.

11. We'd love a glimpse behind the curtain of the new album's creation. Can you share any interesting, challenging, or unexpected stories from the writing or recording process of “Fate Weaver”? Did any particular song or musical idea come together in an unusual way?"

There are many interesting stories from the recording process of ‘Fate Weaver’, that’s for sure. First, is from when we were recording/producing the last track of the album ‘The Last Congregation’, on which, while recording the bass, George Emmanuel listened to the orchestral part at the end of the track and asked me, why don’t you write a bass solo here along with the orchestral background? So I had a few hours to come up with a bass solo for that part, which ended up being the only bass part ever recorded with fingers in Typhus, instead of a pick. To be honest I am not very fond of bass solos, but I think this one turned out nicely. Another challenge was at the end of the mixing procedure, which was at the same time with our show with Rotting Christ in Thessaloniki. So as you can imagine, we were receiving mixing updates while we were on our way to the show. But we managed again, not to lose our focus!

12. Beyond Typhus, have the members of the band played in, or are they currently involved with, any other bands or musical projects? What is the importance of having these side projects—do they influence the music you create with Typhus, or do they serve as an entirely separate creative outlet?

Actually, two of our members are in other bands right now: our new drummer Dimitris is currently playing with a thrash band called Toxic Pub (which our guitarist Stefanos was also a member of, before he joined Typhus), and also Kostas, our other guitar player is involved with a goth rock/darkwave band called Reflection Black. It’s a nice outlet to have multiple bands so that you have more ways to express yourself and not be confined within the limits of a single genre of music. We’re great friends with the members of the bands mentioned above, so no problems emerge between us, as long as our schedules don’t collide too much! Now as far as songwriting within Typhus is concerned, we are pretty open minded and accepting of new ideas that might stray further away from the “standard” style of the band, so that every member can feel free to bring something new to the table.

13. You've been active for over a decade and are now releasing your defining sophomore album. When all is said and done, how do you hope the name “Typhus” will be remembered in the history of Greek and European metal? What is the ultimate goal or legacy you are trying to forge with your music?

That is a difficult one! First things first, I’d dare say the band’s longevity isn’t so much about chasing a legacy as it is about our shared need to be involved in this kind of music. However, if I could see in the future, I would like Typhus to be remembered as a band that was never afraid to experiment and try new elements in their music. Of course, I would love to see this project grow and be able to play in Europe’s biggest festivals, as well as releasing a long list of albums, but always remaining true to our original purpose — to play the music we enjoy.

14. To wrap up our conversation, do you have any final words or a message you would like to share with your fans, both old and new, who are eagerly awaiting the release of “Fate Weaver”?

First of all, to our longtime fans, we hope you enjoy our new record as much as our previous work. We understand that this record might come as a surprise to those of you who have listened to our previous material, but “Fate Weaver” is something we put a lot of passion and effort in and it feels more like a natural evolution to our sound than a conscious effort to switch genres. We’re very pleased with the result, so it would mean all the more if you enjoyed it as well. To new people that learned of us through “Fate Weaver”, we hope you enjoyed listening and we wish that we will see you at a show near you in the future. If you’re fans of the fantasy genre (which heavily inspired the new record), we think you will enjoy it even more!