The lost angels of Greece: Sorrowful Angels Interview

I have been always fascinated by Greece, history, mythology, and music..

With their dark atmosphere we have a pleasure to introduce you, one of the most influential greek gothic band.

Special thanks to their singer Dionisis Christodoulatos for this interview and his kindly words about us.

LFdM: I was wondering about how many synergies are between your land, so beautiful and dark at the same time, and your sound. With Septic Flesh you are one of the most representative goth and death metal bands in Greece, in my opinion. Your debut was in the late 90's when the word "gothic" was not only a social movement, but a state of mind, a way of life, do you believe that the flame of goth still burns or it is a simple stereotype?
Dionisis Christodoulatos: Since the late 90's many things have changed. But like anything in arts and of course in music trends and phases come and go. At the moment Gothic music as a movement does not have the popularity that it once had but that does not mean that it will not return. This however, gives the opportunity to more experimental projects and introspective movements to be released, something which shows new promise and expands the boundaries of the genre... So, by no means is it a stereotype as it is an evolving process.

LFdM: Your story is long and troubled, let’s start from “Omens”, beautiful and deep. Could you tell us something about it?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: "Omens" highlighted a very hard time for us as it became the key point regarding whether the band would continue to exist or not. You could say it was a personal challenge for me, one that ultimately I feel I managed to succeed in. Throughout the years there were many problems and obstacles but despite this, Omens became the reason that we decided to continue as a band, we found a way to make it work practically and professionally. For me, Omens is more than just an album, it was a chance to grow as an artist and make decisions that would influence the years to come. For the first time, I became accountable for something bigger than me; for someone else other than me.

LFdM: You play many instruments, you have a deep knowledge of classical music, which I think has an important role in your sound. Is it wrong if I say that the piano is the best instrument to describe your vibes?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: Not at all . The piano has always been the basis of my compositional procedure . It feels like the most natural way to convert my emotions into music as I have been playing it since a very young age . The richness in tone and expression as well as in range can be rivaled only by the violin which can be crowned as the king of the orchestral instruments. There are plans of an album where the piano will play a leading role in the future .

LFdM:  You've been a member of “Chaostar”, what kind of experience was it? Have you got other projects going on or projects you would like to dedicate to?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: Being a member of Chaostar was a great experience as a musician. The compositional skills of Christos Antoniou are of the highest level and in Chaostar he chooses to make no compromises in style or form. Accompanied by exceptional musicians, Christos succeeds so well in fusing modern classical music with avant garde, traditional and even electronic elements that any true music lover will not be left untouched. My involvement in Chaostar is something I am proud of and will look fondly upon.

Apart from the many projects I am working on at my CFN Recording Studios as a producer, currently I am at the final stages of production of our third album named "Reme-die" which will be our most diverse album to date. Actually, I am going through a very creative phase and I am constantly in the studio experimenting with different sounds and prospective projects that I hope to complete.. 
I am returning to styles that always intrigued me and this creative process has really geared me to want to release something a lot more experimental at some point.

LFdM: You inspired a lot of bands, expecially in your country. What are your feelings about that?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: It sure is one of the highest, if not the highest, compliment a musician can receive. 
When you start playing music it is usually because you are inspired by other musicians who have managed to touch a deep emotional place inside , thus triggering the need to express yourself in a similar way, using the music language. Being mentioned as an inspiration to others is the highest honor and the biggest encouragement to continue creating music .

LFdM: And for you? Which bands inspired you at the beginning of your career?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: Personally i have been through many stages as I started playing the piano at the early age of 5. Music has been a companion my whole life . The first concert I attended was a Vangelis show in Athens , it was my first experience with  electronic music and synthesizers as well as the motivation to create my first piano compositions. I also have always been a fan of classic progressive rock , the music of Pink Floyd , Camel, Eloy made a huge impact on me. 
A few years later I bought Metallica's freshly released "Black Album" and a new phase begun. Metallica and Floyd were the main reasons I started playing the guitar at the age of 13.

LFdM: Since the first time I listened to them, I felt  good vibrations about SadDoLLs' music. They come from Greece too, and with them, you have played in 2012 as support bands of Moonspell. I admit to be a friend of theirs, but the question is: Are there still bands that deserve special attention, considering the hard situation of the music industry?   
Is it so hard to come out for a young band?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: Saddolls are a great band and good friends of ours too . It's been almost two years since we collaborated on a Moonpell cover followed by our shows in Athens and Thesssaloniki and last year they released a wonderful album. But to answer your question, the hard situation of the music industry is the very reason that bands deserve special attention right now.  Currently if we exclude the support from the fans, there is not enough support from other sources like media, promo, recording industry due to the international crisis. 
That makes a very difficult and uneven situation for the bands who are struggling to stay in the music scene let alone make a living from it...gigs and live performances play a crucial role in the funding for a band so ticket sales and merch sales predominately make the difference in contrast to the past which depended mostly on cd sales.

On the other hand, the digital age we  live in has now democratized music to such an extent that a new band can now reach thousands of listeners directly without the need of a record label...something which had never been witnessed before. This has brought about a new era for the music industry which has both good and bad points to consider but I believe that time will tell if this new direction is the one that will be continued.

LFdM: You surely worked hard in the last few years to be here again. Is it the beginning of a new chapter? 
Can you reveal something more to us?

Dionisis Christodoulatos: Sorrowful Angels work hard and creatively, our best effort is still ahead of us. 
Every album is a new chapter as is every collaboration, every new endeavor. There is so much material and more importantly so much creative energy to contribute to our next steps so needless to say we still have a lot to show and say!

LFdM: many thanks angels!
Michela

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