Track By Tracks: ΘΛΙΨΙΣ - DAWN OF DEFIANCE (2023)

1. Can you walk us through each track on the album? What was the inspiration behind each one?

Of course! The first track titled “A War Handbook” was inspired by Bertolt Brecht’s “Manual of War”, it talks about class war throughout the history of mankind and the urge of the working class to rise against every system of oppression. The second track “Eternal Sleep Of Agony” as well as the fourth track “An Open Wound” are deeply personal tracks whose lyrics we don’t want to share, but generally, the main theme of those songs circles around the emotions of Loss and Despair. The third track “Acta Non Verba” which translates to “Deeds Not Words” is about what war has always been, which is an excuse for the rulers and the rich to profit, how it creates suffering and desperation for the common people, and how they can and should change this situation. Not with words but with everyday acts of resistance! The fifth track “The Night That Wolves Were Silent” tells the history of antifascists, communists, and democrats who were exiled for their ideals on the island of Makronissos, where they endured many forms of torment, physical and mental, but they never betrayed their ideas. Finally, the last 2 tracks “Rise Up” and “Enemy At The Gates” are a cover that we attempted to do on these 2 folk songs “Παιδιά Σηκωθείτε” and “Μπήκαν Στην Πόλη Οι Οχτροί” and that each song carries great symbolism of struggle and resistance against the many occupiers during the 20 th century in Greece. From the Nazis to the British and Americans.

2. How does each song contribute to the overall narrative or theme?

Well, each song has its own theme and tells a different story. We can’t say that it’s a concept album, for sure, but the common factor of all songs is defiance. Defiance against the moral values that constitute this rotten modern society. We believe that each song can be a soundtrack for any form of defiance and that’s basically the message we wanted to send to our listeners.

3. Are there any personal experiences or stories that directly influenced any of the songs?

Certainly. “Eternal Sleep Of Agony” and “An Open Wound” are basically, as we said before, from the darkest parts of our souls. They describe the worst feelings that we have felt, such as misery, depression, agony, grief, etc.

4. Which song was the most challenging to create, and why?

Definitely “The Night That Wolves Were Silent”. The lyrics, the guitars, the drums, the bass, and especially the vocals, everything was constructed with great care to make this song what it has become. We can even say that it’s the highlight of the album, at least for us.