“If you read this you are a loser.”
– Tas Danazoglou
Interview by Jason Guest
Jason: Hi Tas. Thanks for taking time out for this interview and congratulations on Aeon’s Of Satan’s Reign. It’s a great follow up to Galloping Blasphemy. Does the album mark a progression for the band?
Tas: Nope there is no progress whatsoever… It’s exactly same style of music with same Satanic themes. We hate progress. We have a one-track mind.
Jason: What was it that you wanted to achieve with Aeon’s Of Satan’s Reign? Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted for this record?
Tas: Me and Stamos had clear ideas from the start. We wanted to do another album that will be equal if not better than Galloping Blasphemy. Mind you, the third one will blow your socks off!!!! Your socks will suck your balls off. Or something like that.
Jason: Is it all new material or is there material from the Galloping Blasphemy-era included?
Tas: No, its all new material that me and Stamos wrote right after Galloping… There was only one song that was left out the first album but we sold it to Kiss.
Jason: How did the tracks on the album evolve since you began writing for it? Were there any that were re-written or saw a significant overhaul since you first began working on the album?
Tas: Me and Stamos never question each other. He sends me a track and I’m, “Yep, that’s fucking killer”, and the same for me. We never change tracks. They’re perfect from the start. If you fuck too much with them you lose the first raw energy of them.
Jason: When writing, do you have an idea of how you want the songs and your albums to sound or do they take shape as they are being developed?
Tas: We have a clear idea from the start. We say, okay, we’re going to rip these bands off and so on…hahaha!!!!
Jason: How does your music begin life? Is it with a melody, a riff, a lyric, or a theme? And how do they develop?
Tas: Speaking from my side, sometimes I have riffs in my head that demand the specific title and lyrics and other times some lyrics come to my head that scream for a certain riff. It’s weird really because it never takes me more than 30minutes to write a song and the lyrics come almost with automatic writing. I think there are malicious entities behind me…
Jason: What are the lyrical themes? Is there a conceptual link across the album?
Tas: Satanism, black magic and withcraft. No other concept.
Jason: Can you tell us about the artwork and what it represents?
Tas: It represents the band on a Sabbath drinking the actual blood of Jesus while he is re-crucified by demons.
Jason: Who is responsible for the artwork? And how much freedom did you give him/her in its design?
Tas: I had the concept of the cover and did a sketch and then a friend of mine painted me ‘cause I couldn’t be bothered to actually paint it. Ha! The goat drawing on the back cover is mine too. I mean I drew that. Drew Barrimore.
Jason: Who are the band’s main influences? Are there any bands that have had a significant impact on the band’s sound?
Tas: Yes. I could have an endless list but the actual bands that you can hear in our album are: Iron Maiden, Venom, Hellhammer, Slayer, Possessed and Rick James.
Jason: Your music is inspired by the classic metal bands of the 80s. What is it about this era that you and so many other bands find so inspirational?
Tas: Well that was my generation cause I was born in 71 so I don’t know any other eras. These are the bands that I was into since I was a child and still are my favourites.
Jason: In between the two albums, you’ve grown from a duo into a full band. What was it that drew you to V, Costa, and Nathan Perrier to ask them to join the band?
Tas: Their Chanel perfume and their hand-knitted underwear. Also the fact that they can’t play very good. I’m done with good musicians!!! WE WANT SLOPPINESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Jason: Now that it’s no longer just the two of you playing all the instruments and recording the material, how has their addition affected the band’s sound?
Tas: I think it’s worse.
Jason: How much do you all contribute to writing material for Satan’s Wrath? Do the new guys write for the band?
Tas: No. They just write their complaints every week in a letter and me and Stamos post this letter to Antartica where the old ones live. Me and Stamos write everything.
Jason: Do Satan’s Wrath have any plans for live performances? If so, will we be seeing you in the Midlands?
Tas: When we play were going to play in the Midlands (where’s that?), in the badlands in the fucklands and in the folklands. We’re not going to play in Finland cause it’s too cold.
Jason: What would be your ideal venue or setting for a Satan’s Wrath performance?
Tas: The main building of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jason: In western culture, rock and metal, once deemed “dangerous” by the powers that be, are becoming more acceptable and are now part of the mainstream. Has metal lost the potency it once had or is this movement into the mainstream testament to its power?
Tas: I don’t give a shit. Fuck the world and everything in it. Real heavy metal bands and fans will always exist. Through shit-storms of trendiness to Loch Ness.
Jason: What’s your opinion of the internet and its impact on music?
Tas: I think the impact was pretty hard. They called an ambulance but there was no survivors. GBH.
Jason: Do you think that because of the ease of making music available, the internet has affected the quality of music?
Tas: We’re here to rape quality and music as one.
Jason: What does the future hold for Satan’s Wrath? Is there more music in the works?
Tas: There is no future. Only death and doom.
Jason: Thanks again for taking time out for this interview. Do you have any closing words for our readers?
Tas: Yes. If you read this you are a loser.
And you can find out more about the band at these links:
