Sinister, Almighty and Dark. If that's the way you like your Heavy Metal then buckle up and keep reading. With the release of their second full-length album, SABOTER made a statement and proved the world they're here to stay. We had the pleasure to chat with them about "Architects of Evil", their vision for the band and their views on the Heavy Metal scene today. Onward...
Greetings guys and congrats on your latest album! Before we get into that, can you please briefly introduce yourselves to our readers?
Thank you, Giannis. We are a cult that was formed in Athens in 2014. We already have three releases and we deliver sinister, almighty and dark heavy metal.
So, it’s almost two years since the release of your debut album, “Mankind Is Damned” [2016]. What happened during this time?
Since mankind is damned we had to undergo some changes in the lineup, two to be more specific, with one of them being our drummer, Vangelis Felonis (also in SACRAL RAGE). Two new musicians stepped in, so as you can understand we spent a lot of time to “tighten” the new line-up in order to work on the new album, “Architects of Evil”.
Given [that in most cases] drums and bass are the “backbone” of the band, how did that affect you in terms of songwriting, performing, etc.?
As I said earlier, we spent a lot of time to make things work perfectly for us after the line-up changes. And I think we did it.
“Mankind Is Damned” got released through Witches Brew that got out of business at some point in 2018. Did that played a role in the time required for getting your second album out?
No, it didn’t play any role on the release date of “Architects of Evil” because we had split with Witches Brew long time before that.
And this brings us to 2018 and “Architects of Evil” release by No Remorse Records. How did you end up signing with them and how’s the feedback you’ve got so far?
We had prepared a demo version of the first two songs of “Architects of Evil” and we sent them to the almighty commander Chris Papadatos (No Remorse Records) and he replied that he was interested. We also got very positive feedback from people from all over the world and that’s a very good first step for wide acceptance from fans!
With an EP and two full-length albums, we can say you’ve been releasing music at a steady pace since 2015. Is it safe to assume that everything in “Architects of Evil” is new material or not?
Everything in “Architects of Evil” is new material except “The Lamias Call” which is an unreleased track from the “Mankind Is Damned” era.
Would you like to share a few info and trivia about the album?
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by George Emanuel at Pentagram studio during autumn of 2018. There are no trivia regarding the recordings, just pure metal and the will to spread our music. It’s passionate music that comes from our heart.
Who’s responsible for the music and which do you consider to be your major influences?
Antonis Vailas is the main composer of the band, but we all share ideas, music and collaborate for the best result. We have a wide range of influences, from progressive rock to heavy metal and extreme metal genres, and that’s something you easily can find out as we incorporate different styles in our music.
Would you like to elaborate a bit about the music and themes of your songs? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
We quote some information about “Architects of Evil” album lyrics. The album starts with two songs that were inspired by Lovecraft. After that, Antonis Vailas presents his imaginative, epic war story which is also depicted through the band’s images. Europe rebels against the spiritual middle-age enforced by monotheism and totalitarianism. 4.000 brave soldiers march into glory under the command of courageous warlords and the Steel King, persecuting and neutralizing the merchant armies of Christianity and invade the Winter Palace.
The “Golden Owl” represents the eyes of the ancient goddess Athena, who carries the entire wisdom of this world, while the “Sword of The Guardian” protects the rebellion from the Knights of Death. It’s an unbreakable incantation, and the knowledge of people against ignorance.
We chose to close the album with a sinister, tragic and overlooked event of modern history. This story is rather obscured due to the masking attempts of the Christian gang. The cult of Saboter wants to inform the world about the massacre of the Smyllum Park Orphanage. There lies a mass grave of 400 innocent children and infants. The song tells the story of the tragic abuse of the children by the nuns and the priests of the orphanage.
How would you describe your music in one sentence?
Sinister metal.
Judging from your live shows and overall imagery, it seems that heavy metal is more than just music to you. Would you like to tell us more about it?
Heavy Metal, as you very correctly said, is not just music for us… it’s a war against the world, the companion through the darkest paths and the glorious, brilliant days. It is the magical tool that forges our weapons and the key to unlock the mystic door. So we need to express all these feelings on stage as well.
With everything that’s currently going on in the metal scene and with all these new “traditional” metal bands, what’s your take on the future of the scene? Do you think traditional/heavy metal is back for good or is just a trend?
Basically, we think it’s a trend, but it will surely spawn many great albums and bands which will move to higher levels, and will define new categories in our favorite music.
Does this affect you in the way you see SABOTER’s future in any way?
To clarify this, SABOTER is not a “traditional” 80’s “rising from the grave” band. We have traditional elements because we were born of this womb, but we are a 2019 band and we want to experiment with new and fresh music, to spread our wings and fly to unexplored places.
Apart from bands, record labels also seem to be on the rise when it comes to releasing stuff on “traditional” media (eg. cassettes). Do you think format is that important when it comes to enjoying listening to music after all?
No doubt about that. Physical format is the key to enjoy the music, and the sacred connection between the listener and the artist.
You recently went on stage with SACRAL RAGE and STYGIAN OATH. Should we expect more shows anytime soon?
We just announced a few live shows in Germany, then Up the Hammers Festival XIV warm up in Greece and more to come soon.
It’s kinda early, but are there any plans or existing material for a third album?
We don’t want to waste time and lose momentum. We are already working on new material.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please, feel free to close this in any way you like! Up the hammers!
Thank you too, it’s an honour. Let the sinister metal burn the world!
