Nightly Kingdoms - The First Polish Lair Of Varathron

...Nightly Kingdoms...

This is an old interview with the Greek black metal band Varathron which was conducted by Bruno Zamora. How would you feel after reaching almost 11 years of staying UG? Would you call yourselves as really the initiators of the Greecian scene? What can you say about other bands, same your age, who are now gone selling out? Do you agree that they can no longer hold the pressure of success and forget of what they're saying before on UG zines right on the day when they're having their 1st demo? Hail!! Well, I think we're a cult legend for the UG Black/Death Metal scene! About the other bands, I say that anyone, anyband can follow the path they like!!!!! I follow the Occult path and I like it!!!!! I want to create from out Utter Dark Lord and I'm doing it until my fucking death!!!!!!! I don't want a fake success. I don't want some idiots around me. I don't want money. I don't want to sell my beliefs, my thoughts, and my ideas on a big label!!!!! I want to be true as I can!!!! You know I'm 33 years old and I love my music, I love Black Metal until my end!!!! Thanx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Varathron suffered a lot of line up changes, do you think that this will somehow affect the entirety of the band? How do you talk with new members? Where is Captain Death now? I see he's also involved on the previous MCD. Are you guys neighbors or is there someone living about 24 hours ride from your venue? Yes, Varathron had a lot of line up changes because we have a problem with our obligatory army service and some personal problems!!! About Captain Death, now working in Athens on a bank!!!! The other members living 450 km/h from my home!!!! Far away, brother!!! But I visit Athens a lot of times and we are working for our new album, as any other albums from the past!!!!!!!!! We survive because I have a big flame, I have so passion, desire for my band!!!! I sacrifice a lot of personal things from me, for my band and I want the best for Varathron!!!! Many were disappointed with your new direction with "Laments Of The Gods" compared to your mighty "His Majesty…", would you say that this is a kind of progression/regression for the band? I think "The Lament…" is a good album. It's a heavy album and the songs are different than our past songs!!!! Our new album "Crownsreign", I think, is a great album with a song near to "His Majesty…" - atmosphere!!!!!!!! The songs on "Lament…" was written very fast, because we signed with Pagan Records and we want to released a Mini-album before album "Crownsreign"!!!! Besides, I think "The Lament…" is a good album and the songs are so Occult and Mysterious! Watch out for our upcoming invasion!!!! I think "Crownsreign" will be a surprise a lot of people and will kill a lot of ears!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggg!!!!!!!!! Do you agree that this 2000 the force of Metal belongs to Sweden and Finland? How was Varathron accepted in North America? How did you came up a deal with the US based - Cursed Productions to pressed your demos on CD format? I think our Greek scene have a lot of good bands!!! About the force of Metal, I think it belongs to any country who have great bands! Sweden, Finland, Norway, Brazil, Germany, and more!!! Of course, sweden and Finland now have a lot of great and new bands who are playing a new sound of Death Metal! A sound with a lot of elements of Heavy Metal!!! About our fans in North America, I think we have a great name there!!! Because Relapse Records send two deals for T-Shirts and Long Sleeves and my brother ray Miller of Cursed Productions released two demos on CD and seling all on a very short time!!!!! Hail Adversary and Metal Cursed Mag!!! Don't you ever plan to have a deal with big time companies like Relapse or Century Media? I've heard that Pagan Records will be releasing one of your materials on Picture LP? How did you came up a deal with Thomas coz most of his releases are meant with Polish bands? Is there a new material coming out from Varathron? As I told you before, I don't want a deal with a big label!!!! I want to create my music and I want it to spread all over the world!!! Thomasz is a great brother of mine from 1989 when he released the Holocaust Mag!!! So, we're the only foreign band signed by Pagan Records. I think, Tomasz make so great work on promotion, and lay-out, design of our releases. Now, he's re-releasing our "His Majesty…" on CD and Pic-LP with different covers and re-mastering sound!!! Of course, we work so hard for our new material, "Crownsreign". It's fast and doomy album!!!! To the most point of it, are you happy of how Pagan Records handle your MCD? Do you have any idea of how many copies did they pressed and sold? Recently, any new labels having an interest with the band? What is your reaction upon seeing Tomasz' brilliant lay-out on the cover and on the CD tray inside? Yes, I'm satisfied with the work of Tomasz!!!! "The Lament…" is selling very very well. I think the first 2 months it solds 3,500 copies and now I don't have any number but Tomasz he's very happy for our release!!! We have some proposals from other labels but we see Tomasz had a perfect work with out MCD. The lay-out is so brilliant, so Occult and I like it very much!!! The Pic-LP, the vinyl, is so fantastic too!!! I like the cover!!! ETERNAL RULES!!! I'm so anxious to see our cover on "His Majesty…", it will be so different than the first original release!!! Watch out!!!! What forced you to do a cover of Mercyful fate? I guessed that DECEASED also did a cover for the Tribute Album? Why didn't you submit the cover on Listenable instead? How is this song affects you? Who among these persons inspired you as what you are now: King diamond; Glen Benton, Qourthon, Cronos? Any comment you would like to make for each? About the cover of Mercyful Fate, I'm a big fan of Mercyful Fate and the song "Nuns Have No Fun" came from the MLP 1982 by Rave On records! Well, Julius from STILLDEAD PRODUCTIONS wanted to release a tribute Album before Listenable Records did. So, we recorded that song but Julius had a lot of personal troubles and the Tribute CD was delayed!!! So Listenble released their own first and Stilldead after 1 1/2 year!!!! So we use that song on out Mini Album because I thought he will never release it. Now, the Tribute Cd is re-released by DWELL RECORDS!!!! About King Diamond, he's a great musician!!! I like all of the releases from King diamond and Mercyful Fate!!! Also Cronos, Qourthon, and Glen Benton are so greatest musicians!!! Qourthon and Cronos are the kings of Death/Black Metal. The great teachers!!! I WORSHIP THE GREAT GODS OF BLACK METAL!!!!! On "Warrior's Nightmare" who is this Goddess of Erotica you've been referring to? You've been mentioning a lot of Gods/Godesses on this particular song. Is this a complete Hellenic concept? Have you ever been writing a song full about this? Aren't you bothered singing King diamond's lyrics that sounds too ridiculous like "c.u.n.t."? Do you think that the king is a bit horny while writing that song? The song "Warrior's Nightmare" talk for a king and a warrior who wants to see the world a big empire of his sword!!! It's a story of Aurylious, a Great Roman philosophy!!! The Godess of Erotica called Xetrina or Hecate for us!!! So, the song is a concept for Hellenic and Roman history!!! About the song "Nuns Have No fun", I think it's a great song. Maybe the lyrix are not so clever but that song was written in 1981 and I think we must worship all from Mercyful fate, all the hard work who created that song and the other great songs of mini-album not so for the lyrics but for eternal great music!!! ETERNAL RULES!!!! Now, plugged anything you want… Thanx a lot for your interest on my band, Bruno!!!!!!!! I salute all the Black Metal from Philippines. Embrace our apocryphal - blasphemic music!!!! Watch out for our "Crownsreign"!!!!

(c) Vertumnus - varathron@op.pl