Interviews: Shinigami

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Heavy Metal band Shinigami from Greece. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that? 

Shinigami, which literally translates to “gods/spirits of death”, are spirits found in Japanese religion and culture that act as psychopomps. That is, they invite humans towards death. In modern times they have found their way into pop culture mainly through manga/anime, which all of us in the band enjoy. We felt it was a strong name for a metal band, so we adopted it.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Individually, we were all drawn to music since we were kids. We grew up listening to a wide range of musical genres such as rock, pop, punk, funk, soul, classical, etc. However, all of us were fervent listeners of all things heavy metal. It’s hard to explain, suffice it to say that it was the kind of music that just felt “right” for us. At some point along the way, we decided that merely listening to heavy metal was not enough for us, we needed to create our own music!

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Founding member and guitarist Dionysis and original bassist Hector first met each other during their military service in 2007. They discovered they shared musical influences as well as a passion for music and decided to form a band whose main goal would be to create original material rather than just perform cover songs. Also, current guitarist Lefteris, who was asked to the band in 2012, had been friends with Hector long before the band was ever founded. The remaining members of our current band lineup features (Kostas on drums, Vassiliki on lead vocals, Konstantinos on keyboards, and Christina on bass guitar) joined Shinigami further down the line by either answering ads or being suggested by common friends.

4. Each band member's favorite band? 

Just one band per person? Impossible! That is the beauty of music, when it comes to bands that have deeply inspired and influenced us, there is no way you can pick just one.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Our lyrics mostly deal with personal thoughts/struggles and everyday issues, although we do throw the occasional historical/fantasy element in the mix to keep things interesting. Also, in our free time, we all enjoy reading books, poetry, and manga as well as watching movies, TV shows anime, etc, which greatly influence our creativity There really is no one particular thing/theme that defines our lyrics. We write what feels appropriate for the music and fits our mood.

6. Where was your last gig? 

That would be the gig played at An Club, Athens, on June 2nd, 2024 with Valiant Sentinel, Graywitch, and Wildfire. We are currently gearing up for our first gig of the season, which will take place at Temple Athens Club on September 21st, 2024 with Jehovah On Death, Primal Roots, and HellPass

7. Where would you like to act? 

Probably Wacken. In our minds, Wacken is currently the most prestigious heavy metal festival in Europe (if not the world). Most of our favorite bands have played there and some of them still play there on a regular basis, so being able to say we’ve played there would be a dream come true.

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

The lineup would definitely include Judas Priest, Accept, Iron Maiden, Uriah Heep, and Deep Purple.

9. Whom not?

Dunno… Nickelback maybe? Seriously, as long as we get to play live, we don’t really care where or with whom. We just enjoy gigging.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that? 

We don’t recall ever having a serious case of stage fright. We suppose the best way to get over it is to play enough gigs so that it becomes second nature. Now, truth be told, playing live is always a bit stressful but, as long as you show up to a gig adequately rehearsed, don’t listen to hecklers, and don’t think about it too much, you will be fine.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept, Dio, Savatage, Motorhead, AC/DC… they are probably too many to list here. Most of the greats from the 70s, 80s, and even 90s have influenced us to some extent.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

Nothing in particular comes to mind right now. Sorry to disappoint!

13. What do you think of your fans? 

Our fans are great! It is always a very exciting and humbling experience to interact with people who really enjoy our music. It is what makes us proud of what we have achieved up to this point and keeps us motivated to become even better!

14. What do you think of our site?

It’s very cool, we dig it. Keep up the good work!

15. Something to add?

We would like to thank everyone out there for supporting us, it really helps us keep going strong. We are Shinigami and we’re here to Rock Your World!! Also, we would like to let you know that we are also putting the finishing touches on our next studio album, which will be produced by heavy metal icon Bob Katsionis. We are aiming for a late 2024 release. Expect to hear from us very soon!