Interview to SARCOVORE (Greece)

1. Hello my friend, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

Hello Edu, pleasure for me also doing this interview. I'm doing good, in my home relaxed and answering your questions.

2. Theo, you´ve been a musician for several years now. What has changed in your mindset since the beginning of your musical path? Explain me, please the evolution process that made you become what are you now.

In my mindset that which has changed is that I trust more and mostly my self and what I want to do playing that amazing instrument called electric guitar. I am not the best and I never cared for that, the key is that I don't quit, I love playing extreme Death Metal riffs and writing my own music and then recording it. The whole process is for my personal self evolution, creativeness through adrenaline and euphoria caused by writing and recording what I mostly have loved, extreme old school technical Death Metal. That's all about. If there are people who like and enjoy my releases then this is success for me.

3. Sarcovore has passed the mark of almost 5 years of their existence. Can you briefly describe any major incident in the bands career during this time?

The only major incident for Sarcovore is the releasing of the debut album on CD and cassette. And this includes the whole process of writing, recording and the final release, which means the whole process is successfuly completed and this chapter is closed and done. Beyond that, things continue contantly on writing new tracks.

4. What is your favorite part of writing and performing music? What are some of the challenges you face as a musician?

Practising, writing new riffs, recording the new songs and then being released on CD and other formats. This is the biggest challenge for me. All riffs come naturally while practising or through my mind and then start to sing the riffs and find them on the fretboard.

The final step which is the release of an album is one of my favorite. Recording music and releasing it is something like a journey in time, because when you listen to music, it's like travelling to an event which happened somewhere in time in the past and this creates feelings, joy, memories or whatever everyone is experiencing while listening to music.

5. How do you guy write such brutal yet memorable music? Is it tough to do?

For me this brutal music has an effect of morale boost, it gives me good mood, enjoyment and strength. About the memorable you say, it's all about practising and practising...when you do that then all the rest comes naturally.

6. Debut album is entitled “The Calling”. In your own words, how would you explain how your sound on these 9 tracks?

Sarcovore's sound has influences from old school Death Metal till 2000s Brutal Death Metal in the vein of old Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Agnel, Suffocation, Deeds Of Flesh, Severed Savior and many other great bands.

7. It sounds like you guy had a lot of work making this album – what was the writing process like for this one?

Some riffs and songs where actually old ideas which I wanted to record them. The whole process was a bit stressful because it was during the pandemic and things went delayed. Imagine that the recordings of guitar, bass and drum programming were finished in summer of 2021, the vocals recorded almost one year later and the album released on cassette in late summer of 2023 and finally released on CD on April 2024...too much delay! But at least finally is done!!

8. What is the theme of “The Calling” you would say? What is your favorite song off the album and why?

If you mean about the whole album, it has a variety of lyrical themes like against the global goverment, against the violently forced mass vacination we all faced, about the rotten society and stuff like that. Now about the self titled track "The Calling", the lyrical theme is an invocation to ancient Greek God Zeus, to destroy the leaders of this world and the oppression and tragedies they create and bring justice. My favorite track is Aversion From Human Disgust and then Smash The New World Order and Regressed Unto Extinction because I like mostly the riffs and the drums!

9. Can you tell me a little bit about the album cover, and do you think art work is important to public perception and branding for a band?

The album cover was my idea and was created by artist Sdenzil Budon. It shows ancient Greek God Zeus throwing a thunder and destroying the masonic pyramid and the corrupted global goverment big brother system of control and manipulation which is supposed to watch everything and everybody and is supposed to be the law and above all. Of course the album cover is very important, but the music is much more. And because I don't want to be misunderstood, I must say that I hate every form of control and manipulation and I don't belong anywhere politically of religiously. I have my own beliefs.

10. In terms of guest appearances – you had Greg and Mitsos come in on the vocals as well. How did that come about?

I just wanted 2 different voices for the album and asked them if they wanted to do it and they agreed.

11. What do you consider the strengths of Sarcovore as far as your death metal craft?

The strengths is loyalty and respect to my favorite music: Death Metal! For me Sarcovore is my child haha.

12. What kind of respect do you get from your local scene? How massive is it to get response from places you have never heard of?

I am actually not known in my local scene. There are so many many bands, which this makes it difficult for someone to be heard. But as time passes by, those who search and listen to this music, at the end shall discover it!

13. If we think at your native place, the history and the heritage of the country, what is the thing that you like most about this land, its people and their habits?

What mostly I like of this land is the sun, the good food, the beautiful women, the sea and many wonderfull places to go.

14. How is the mood in Greece these days concerning cooperation between musicians and the relationship between musicians and audience?

I think it's positive in both ways, fortunately music and Greece goes hand in hand together and metalheads always support the bands they like.

15. Is Greece a great place to be an extreme metal band? What kind of response do you get from the Greek metal fans?

No it's not, for Death Metal the audience is small, so not to say about Brutal Death Metal! Most of metal fans listen from heavy to thrash and black metal which is a bit more easy listening music, at least this is my point of view. About Sarcovore, we are unknown in Greece, there are only a few people who know us and bought CD or cassette and those people are those fans who are into the scene for years now and still buy merch from other bands because they love this music.

16. So, what’s coming out next? Anything you want to divulge from the vault of your future plans?

There are some new tracks for the next album which is in the scars. Second album will be more brutal, more technical and more passionate and obsessed. I would like to play in gigs or festivals if there will be any opportunity. That's all from me!! I'd like to thank you for this great interview and your support for Sarcovore!! Cheers!!

https://www.facebook.com/sarcovore