This Russian one‑man band doesn’t leave much to assumption. Even its
moniker points directly to the musical path it follows—funeral doom metal in
its purest, most uncompromising form. Your Life My Death serves as a
representative introduction to what the genre embodies. If I had to frame
funeral doom in my own words, I’d say it’s a style driven less by riffs or
technical exploration and more by the emotions it summons and the bleak,
suffocating atmospheres it constructs.
Listeners rarely approach funeral doom expecting
experimentation or standout guitar work. What they seek is that slow, creeping
darkness—the sense of descent, the weight of ambience, the emotional gravity.
In that regard, FUNERAL TEARS succeeds. The album consistently delivers the
right mood, channeling the genre’s characteristic despair and stillness with
sincerity.
However, taking into account the broader metal
audience, this debut—while solid—doesn’t necessarily offer something so
distinctive that it will convert listeners outside the funeral doom niche. It’s
a faithful execution of the genre rather than a reinvention of it.
So the rating I give reflects an attempt to balance
both perspectives: the general metal listener and the dedicated funeral doom devotee.
If you belong to the latter group, the score rises, and Your Life My Death
becomes a release you’ll likely want to explore.
Λονδίνο,
Hammersmith Odeon, 1980. Οι τότε νεαροί heavy rockers (ο όρος heavy metal δεν
είχε ακόμη καθιερωθεί ιδιαίτερα στις Η.Π.Α.) από τη Νέα Υόρκη φτάνουν στην
Αγγλία για να περιοδεύσουν με τον δεύτερο δίσκο τους, Narita. Ο μακαρίτης Guy
Speranza, ο αρχικός τραγουδιστής τους έως και το Fire Down Under του 1981, ο
επίσης μακαρίτης κιθαρίστας και ιδρυτής του σχήματος Mark Reale, ο Rick Ventura
στη δεύτερη κιθάρα, ο Kip Leming στο μπάσο και ο Sandy Slavin στα ντραμς
αποτελούν τη σύνθεση του 1980. Το συγκεκριμένο ντοκουμέντο κυκλοφορεί την
περίοδο ανάμεσα στα Thundersteel και The Privilege of Power, άλμπουμ μιας πολύ
διαφορετικής πλέον σύνθεσης αλλά και μουσικής κατεύθυνσης για το συγκρότημα.
Οι
αρχικοί (σχεδόν) Riot έχουν ελάχιστη σχέση με το U.S. Speed/Power Metal που
γνωρίσαμε αργότερα. Κομμάτια όπως τα Warrior, Angel, Road Racin', Narita, Rock
City, Kick Down the Wall, ηχογραφημένα ζωντανά, αποκτούν ιστορική αξία ως υλικό
που, λόγω εποχής, δεν θα μπορούσαμε διαφορετικά να ακούσουμε.
English:
A document from a long‑gone era.
London, Hammersmith Odeon, 1980. The then‑young heavy rockers from New York (the term heavy
metal hadn’t yet fully caught on in the U.S.) arrive in England to tour their
second album, Narita. The late Guy Speranza, their original vocalist up through
Fire Down Under in 1981, the also‑late
guitarist and founding member Mark Reale, Rick Ventura on second guitar, Kip
Leming on bass, and Sandy Slavin on drums make up the 1980 lineup. This
particular recording was released during the period between Thundersteel and The
Privilege of Power, albums that featured a very different lineup and a markedly
different musical direction for the band.
The original (or almost original) Riot bear little
resemblance to the U.S. Speed/Power Metal sound we came to know later. Tracks
like Warrior, Angel, Road Racin', Narita, Rock City, and Kick Down the Wall,
captured live, gain historical significance as material we would otherwise
never have had the chance to hear due to the era in which they were performed.
1.Your
debut full-length “Rise” has finally arrived. If this album were a cinematic
soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic movie, what would be the very first scene the
audience sees when "Leap of Faith" starts playing?
Bella Ciao, Professor & the Berlin scene.
2. You worked with David Prudent at “Made in Hell
Studio”. Many bands say the studio name is literal—did he push you into any
"hellish" territory to get those high notes or riffs just right for
the record?
It was actually the opposite! We were the ones pushing
David “hellishly”! And we thank him for his patience and for the amazing job he
did!
3. "Night with a Witch" has been with you
since the 2021 EP and was re-recorded for the new album. How has your relationship
with that "Witch" changed over the last four years? Is she still the
same character she was back then?
The Witch on this album has dressed up in her finest
in order to “seduce” even more souls!
4. In your track "Navigators," there’s a
sense of epic journeying. If Wildfire had to set sail and leave Athens behind
to "conquer" one specific city or country with your music, where
would the compass be pointing?
Wherever there is kindling!
5. You’re playing Ghostlands & Ravenlands, which
evolved from the Caravan of Shadows. Do you feel like "shadows" and
"ghosts" are a fitting backdrop for Wildfire’s brand of melodic
metal, or are you the "fire" that’s meant to burn those shadows away?
Wildfire has both its bright and its dark side! It
burns everywhere with the same intensity!
6. Tolis, we heard there’s some clarinet hidden in the
track "Rise." That’s a very "un-metal" instrument on
paper—how do you make a woodwind instrument feel like it belongs in a heavy
metal anthem?
Hello from me too (Tolis)! “Rise” doesn’t have a
clarinet — it’s actually on “Navigators”!
Why a clarinet? Because it’s a traditional instrument
from our country and our folklore, and the way it’s used is extremely “heavy
metal” because it brings out epic emotions, just like traditional music does.
It was a gamble that paid off, since we can see the impact it has at our live
shows.
7. The Silent Rage members started this festival.
Since you share the stage with them, if you had to "steal" one
element from their live performance or sound and "Wildfire-ize" it,
what would it be?
Their singer, hahaha!
8. You collaborated with William Joestar on lyrics for
tracks like "Navigators" and "Inside the Box." Is there a
specific line on the album that makes you think, "I wish I’d written that
myself" every time you sing it?
Since our singer is currently absent for an indefinite
period (in other words, we’re actively looking for a new voice at the moment),
this question will be answered once the position has been filled.
9. The song "Inside the Box" suggests a
struggle with boundaries. In a scene as specific as the Greek NWOTHM, do you
ever feel "boxed in" by the expectations of traditional metal fans,
or is that box exactly where you want to be?
In this particular song, I happened to have the
original musical inspiration. Personally, I don’t feel boxed in by
expectations. I always write “outside the box,” based on what I would like to
hear myself, hoping of course that the listeners will like it too!
10. "Mirror’s Edge" is one of the longer,
more complex tracks on the new album. When the band looks into the
"mirror" today compared to 2019 when you started, what’s the biggest
change you see in yourselves as musicians?
We see a few more gray hairs on our heads, hahaha! Of
course there’s a difference compared to 2019. Each of us has grown on a
personal level, and as a band we’ve evolved both musically and as people. I
think that shows on Rise compared to our EP — and you’ll hear and see it even
more in the releases we’re preparing!
11. The Ghostlands & Ravenlands Festival is
becoming a staple in Athens. By the time the next edition of this festival
rolls around, where do you want the "Wildfire" to have spread?
First of all, we’re very happy to be playing for the
first time at the Ghostlands & Ravenlands Festival and to contribute to
this growing institution! “Wildfire” aims to burn in as many hearts out there
as possible, in Greece and beyond. Why not even at a major
international festival?
1. Your music
draws heavily from ’90s gothic textures — if “Deus Profanus” were a forgotten
relic discovered in some ancient archive, what inscription would be carved on its
cover?
“Nothing is as
it seems.” A simple phrase, but one that echoes deeply through our music and
lyrics.
2. Gothic and
doom often explore the tension between light and shadow. What’s a moment in the
band’s journey where the “light” surprised you the most?
One of the most
unexpected “light” moments has been seeing the audience sing along with us —
unprompted, instinctively, like the songs already live within them. There’s
something magical about that shared recognition, especially when it comes during
a live performance. It reminds us that even in darkness, connection brings
light.
3. Each member
comes from projects with very different sonic identities. What’s one unexpected
habit or creative quirk from another member that shaped the new album in a way
you didn’t anticipate?
While there
weren’t specific creative quirks that reshaped the process, one track that
stands out is Tristessa. It's a deeply personal piece — the lyrics reflect the
grief of losing a loved one. That emotional weight shaped the atmosphere of the
album in an unspoken, but powerful way.
4. If “Echoes of
Eternity” was the band’s first message to the world, what message does “Deus
Profanus” send back in return?
“Deus Profanus”
continues the conversation by reminding us that appearances deceive. The
balance between light and shadow may not be as threatening as it’s made to seem
— and there’s always another perspective worth exploring.
5. Your sound
feels cinematic — if a filmmaker approached you to score a scene, what kind of
scene would Empty Mirror instinctively gravitate toward?
We’d
instinctively gravitate toward something that feels like a gothic fairytale or
a medieval tale — rich in atmosphere, steeped in emotion, and haunted by beauty
and decay. A scene filled with mystery, symbolism, and inner conflict would
feel like home to us.
6.
Ghostlands&Ravenlands Festival has a strong identity rooted in atmosphere
and storytelling. What part of your live performance do you think resonates
most with that ethos?
Definitely our
performance of Zephyros. It’s one of our most theatrical songs — especially in
the verses — and it demands a dramatic, almost ritualistic approach on stage.
That element of storytelling through voice, movement, and mood is something we
fully embrace, and it connects deeply with the spirit of
Ghostlands&Ravenlands.
7. What’s a
musical influence that fans would never guess plays a role in shaping your
compositions?
Speaking
personally, one unexpected influence came while writing the vocal lines for
Zephyros. The chorus is actually inspired by the female vocals and oriental
scale used in “Smack my bitch up” by The Prodigy. I’ve
always loved that vocal approach — it's fierce, hypnotic, and primal — and I
channeled that energy into our own sound in a way that still felt true to our
gothic roots.
8. If you could
freeze a single moment from your time in the studio recording “Deus Profanus”
and display it in a museum, what moment would it be and why?
It would be the
moment we were all together in the studio, laughing. Every band member was
present, and there was this shared energy — the kind you feel when something is
being born. That moment captured the spirit of Deus Profanus before it even
existed as an album. It wasn’t about the technical process, but about
connection, presence, and creation.
9. Your
dual-vocal dynamic adds a haunting dimension to your sound. What’s a moment on
stage where that interplay created something unplanned but magical?
It happened
during the first live performance of Man and Elf. The song itself has a
theatrical quality, and in that moment, we instinctively turned toward each
other and performed our parts as if we had become the characters. It was
completely unplanned, but something clicked — it created a tender, beautiful
moment that felt like pure storytelling through music.
10. Athens has a
unique underground metal culture. How does the city itself seep into your
songwriting — through its history, its chaos, or its silence?
There are
definitely traces of both chaos and silence in our music — that contrast is
part of living in Athens. But there’s also another face of the city that we try
to capture: something more raw and natural. For example, the lyric video we
filmed for Luminous Child was shot in the Hymettus mountain area — technically
still Athens, yet so far removed from its urban noise. That duality — between
the known and the hidden — is very present in what we create.
11. If Empty
Mirror could collaborate with an artist outside the metal world — someone completely
unexpected — who would challenge you in the best possible way?
It’s hard to
name just one artist, but I’ve often imagined collaborating with voices that
come from a completely different sonic realm — something ethereal and pure.
Artists like Enya or Celtic Woman bring a haunting serenity that would contrast
beautifully with our darker sound. That kind of collaboration would definitely
challenge us in unexpected and inspiring ways.
12. Looking
ahead, what emotion or concept do you feel is “calling” you for your next
creative chapter, even if it’s still undefined?
We’ve been
discussing the idea of exploring old fairytales and legends from rural Greece —
eerie stories, mythical creatures, strange sightings whispered across
generations. There’s something deeply haunting and poetic about this forgotten
folklore, and it feels like it’s calling to us. Whether through lyrics or
music, we’d love to give voice to those old shadows and let them take new form
in our sound.
1. As
founders of the Ghostlands&Ravenlands Festival, how do you balance your
roles as organizers and performers? Has creating a festival changed the way you
approach your own music on stage?
That is what we call a perfect symmetry. We manage to
have a flow in the festival timelines and roles thanks to our amazing crew that
handles everything with care in order to have time ourselves to be prepared as
musicians for the stage performance. Nothing could change our approach for the
stage, therefore we are even more eager to storm the stage.
2. Turning
20 years old as a band is a remarkable milestone. Looking back, which album,
song, or performance do you feel most defined The Silent Rage, and why?
Pff that’s tough since we only have two albums hahaha.
Therefore, if I had to pick two songs for the definition of The Silent Rage
sound, that would might be “StormWarrior” from “The Deadliest Scourge” and “The
Serpent Lord” from “Nuances Of Life” album. As a live performance, I would
definitely pick our appearance at Release Athens 2022 festival, alongside with
Sabaton, Blind Guardian, Epica& Enemy Of Reality. Don’t get me wrong, every
live performance is great, indoors and outdoors Greece, playing with major
bands or bands of our caliber, but yeah, Release Athens 2022 festival will be
something really special in our hearts.
3. You’ve
mentioned performing songs that haven’t been played live before. How do you
decide which rare tracks to bring to life, and do these old songs evoke
different emotions now compared to when you wrote them?
Oh man, definitely I would change a lot. First of all,
I wish I could play better than the days they were composed hehehe. It’s nice
that we will play songs that never performed live and with members that we
never performed live together! That makes it unique on it’s own way. It’s good
that the memories coming back to life and I cherish the moments in time playing
those songs with the members we had on the line up.
4. Power
metal often combines epic narratives with personal emotion. How do you find the
balance between fantasy storytelling and reflecting real-life experiences in
your lyrics?
It’s definitely a thin line between those
two.Sometimes, personally speaking, I do separate them in order to keep the
epic element on its own to tell the tale of something fantasy and sometimes to
keep the line about things that happening in our lives. Such examples are for
instance songs like “Storm Warrior” & “The Serpent Lord” are tales of
fantasy and “Proselytize The Masses” & “Man In The Mirror” are real life
struggling issues.
5. Over
the years, your lineup changes have influenced your sound. If you could
describe the “essence” of The Silent Rage in three musical or lyrical traits,
what would they be?
Ι believe that our record label, Scarlet Records,
described our sound as dark (Hellenic) power metal. I do believe that they got
it right. We are not the typical power metal band like the ones that play
euro-power for instance. We have many elements in our music. You can locate in
our songs elements that comes over the thrash metal sound or the melodic death
metal and that’s something that you have to be really focused to realize that.
But yeah, Dark Hellenic Power Metal is definitely something that characterize
us.
6. Greece
has a rich history and mythology. How much does your cultural background
influence your songwriting, and are there any myths or historical events you’ve
been particularly inspired by in recent work?
Well, Nikos, the only related song to the Greek
Mythology through the eyes of a character that lives through a video game is
“The Right To Dream” from our debut album “The Deadliest Scourge”. As title
says, the main character has to do with Kratos, the protagonist of video game
series “God of War”. It has to do with his fight with the Greek Gods and his
right to dream. The lyrics reflects perfectly to the whole idea. Go check the
song, let yourself into the lyrics while listening it and… there you go!
7. You’ve
collaborated with many guest musicians in the past. If you could invite any
musician—living or deceased—to join you on stage at Ghostlands&Ravenlands,
who would it be, and what would you play together?
Dreams are always nice but it’s not always easy to
happen. So therefore, it would have been nice to have with us on stage Apollo
Papathanasio (Spiritual Beggars, ex-Firewind), Yossi Sassi (Solo, ex-Orphaned
Land), Vladimir Reshetnikov (Arkona), Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer, The Three
Tremors), Stu Block (Into Eternity, ex-Iced Earth) & Bob Katsionis (Stray
Gods, ex-Firewind) in order to perform the songs that they did participate. Who
knows? Perhaps one day…
8. Festivals
are more than music—they create communities. What kind of emotional or
spiritual experience do you hope fans leave with after attending
Ghostlands&Ravenlands?
Well said, festivals are communities and it’s like a
gathering of a tribe. Music fans attend and they become one. There no
boundaries, there’s only music, have fun and make memories. That’s what we
would like to offer as a festival: create memories, smiles in the faces and the
hope to return in the next edition.
9. The
music industry has changed drastically in the past two decades. How do you
navigate streaming, social media, and the shift from physical albums while
staying true to your artistic vision?
The purchase of physical copies, either that’s a CD or
a vinyl, still takes place. Streaming music in various platforms such as
Spotify, Rokk, Tidal, Amazon etc., combined with the power that the social
media platforms have, whether we like it or not, creates more opportunities to
a band to sell a few more albums. It’s not like the old days when you where
buying albums without hearing them and turn to be… rubbish!
10. When
you think about the next generation of Greek and international power metal
bands, what lessons or philosophies from The Silent Rage would you want them to
carry forward?
Keep your eyes to the ground, work clever and you will
get repaid, sooner or later. Everyone was to go highspeed on achievements but
needs steps to pass. It’s not easy but in the end of the day, that has it’s own
magic in this journey.
11. Looking
forward, are there any musical styles, instruments, or thematic concepts that
you haven’t explored yet but dream of experimenting with in upcoming releases?
“I began my life journey from the harbors of music, my
destination port is unknown....”. That’s a strong quote by my friend Yossi
Sassi. I believe it reflects everything that you want to hear as an answer.
12. Finally,
if a new listener attends the festival and experiences your live set for the
first time, what emotional journey or takeaway do you hope they have by the end
of the night?
That he/she saw a band that needs his/her support ‘til
the end of time.
UK melo-chaotic death metal outfit Worship The
Sacrifice have announced their new EP, Veil of Revelations, set for release on
April 9, 2026. The six-track release stands as the band’s clearest statement
yet of their self-defined sound, blending heightened melody with relentless
chaos, blistering speed, dynamic vocals, and solid melodic foundations.
The EP features original tracks “Evolve,” “Crystal,”
“Indigo Eyes,” and “Show Them The Light,” alongside the instrumental “Behind
the Veil” and a death metal reimagining of Arch Enemy’s “Nemesis.” Lyrically
and conceptually, Veil of Revelations explores themes of illusion,
manipulation, spiritual blindness, and personal awakening.
Having formed in 2022 and already clocked nearly 100
live shows across the UK, Worship The Sacrifice have earned a reputation for
intense, tightly executed performances. With Veil of Revelations, the band
continues to solidify their position as a rising force in the UK underground
metal scene.
Symphonic power metal duo Synthwailer has released
their new single, «Iron Arch». Recorded at Sami Parkkonen’s home studio and
mastered by Sebastian Levermann, the band blends heavy guitars, cinematic
orchestration, and electronic sounds. Formed in 2021 by vocalists Sami
Parkkonen and Morgane Matteuzzi, they focus on dark, atmospheric storytelling
with a mix of metal and electronic influences.
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