CRIMSON FIRE - Crimson Fire/Stelios
\r\nCrimson Fire is a band that attracted lots of fans due to their amazing live performances, the lyricism of their songs and the astonishing vocals as well. After their very successful gigs in so many clubs, the very impressive cover songs that other bands might hesitate to attempt playing, and after playing as support acts for well known-names such as Heir Apparent and Brocas Helm, they talked to Metalzone about the past, the present and their future plans
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\r\nMetalzone: Crimson Fire is a “traditional” classic metal band. How do you see the reflection of the specific style in Greece and abroad nowadays?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: First of all, we would like to see the band not as much as a traditional or classic, but as a combination of influences that created the CRIMSON FIRE ’s style. Correspondence surely exists…and the examples are many, if someone can imagine that much more new bands are active in the metal scene today, in Greece and abroad. However, the element that makes the difference between Greece and abroad is the feedback that the bands have, regarding the opportunities that they are given and the conditions under which they will try to develop. In our country it is difficult for others to go further via their achievements, because there are no suitable conditions from a record label to support a band. Unfortunately, there are many good groups in the underground scene, that cannot be heard to the general public and gain impressions, because of Greek mentality and because lack of feedback.
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\r\nMetalzone: Is there any possibility in the future to add more modern elements to your music and if so which will they be?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: For us always exists the possibility of development… not essentially of modernisation but of …refreshing our sound. Surely, the music is a enormous spectrum of hearings and many from them has influenced our playing.
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\r\nMetalzone: You have already recorded a demo, which is of the 80s heavy metal style. To what extend does this release helped the progress of the band and how did the metal fans behaviour towards it?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: We are not very satisfied from the result of the 2004 demo, which contains the “Metal is Back”, “Crimson Fire” and “The Prophet’s Gaze” songs. However, the world embraced it, love it and learned us from it. It was the first step for us and consequently it proved important enough for the band’s progress.
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\r\nMetalzone: You became very known to the greek undergrounds scene, thanks to the innumerable live and your intense live performance. Tell us a few things about the combination of image/performance and the importance that they have for your band.
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\r\nCrimson Fire: Live appearances are something special for us. We believe that fans are coming to watch the group that they like in order to enjoy, and this can be achieved with a good appearance on stage, performance and image. And this three elements are interrelated when it is for live appearances and their combination results in.
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\r\nMetalzone: Which the may way of composing your songs? Is there a basic composer or is it a team working?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: Every one of us writes songs, but the basic composers are John (vocals) and Jason (guitar). Having these compositions as a base, we all add our ideas in the studio and create a new track.
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\r\nMetalzone: Before few months you have announced the recording of a full length album, but also you had “little adventures” during recording, such as departures, which turned everything in a halt for some time. In which phase is the recording now and what problems do you had?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: The phase that the group passed from the recording day and afterwards was difficult. First of all, the album was stopped because of high cost. Unfortunately, this happened in a bad period and constituted one of the causes for the departure of two basic members. The recording process was interrupted, however it gave an important lesson for all of us. By this time, three tracks are completely recorded, while the rest six are completed only in the rhythm section (bass, drums). The thought that dominates in Crimson Fire is to release these three tracks as a Promo CD with in the view of signing in a record label.
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\r\nMetalzone: Which were your activities when you were inactive?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: During all this time that we were inactive, we didn’t lose our time, but we were rehearsing a lot. By the way I would like to thank Kostas, who took his place in the drum kit, getting the band to an above level, but also Angelo from Ravenheart, who was with us and helped us, until Jason returned.
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\r\nMetalzone: Do you already have a contract with a label or are you going to do approaches after the album recording, in order to have it ready?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: As I said above, we do not have a contract. But there is willing to work and to sign a contract. I hope that the last mentioned will be achieved with the promo cd that will be released very soon. \r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Tell us a few things about the album tracks and if it will contain re-mastered songs from your demo.
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\r\nCrimson Fire: They are more powerful songs and with the suitable production they will reach the result that we are looking for. Also, there are some mid-tempo compositions. It’s almost sure that demo songs will be re-mastered and that they will be included in the album, because we want them to have the quality that we want.
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\r\nMetalzone: Where and when are we going to see Crimson Fire again on stage? Do you have arrange some live dates?
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\r\nCrimson Fire: There is a programmed live at 23rd December (Blue Live Club, Agios Eleytherios). For more information you can visit: myspace.com/crimsonfiregr . The only thing is that we will spend wonderful time and this is for sure!
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\r\nMetalzone: Stelios tell us few things about the band influences and also yours as guitar player.
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\r\nStelios: Crimson Fire are influenced mainly by bands such as ÏŒπως οι Stryper, Crimson Glory, Helloween etc, without this meaning that we do not accept any other band from the 80’s decade. Personally, my influences are also out of the heavy metal scene with many musicians that I admire and they are no longer among us, like Jimmy Hendrix, Jon Oliva, Randy Roads and many more such as Jason Becker, Drenning and G.Tipton. To my mind, all the music sounds, should become influence for something better. \r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Which (Greek and foreign) bands do you like from today’s metal scene?
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\r\nStelios: It will be unfair to answer this question, because there are many bands, that deserve great recognition and if I will forget some of them then it won’t be good. It is very good that the number of the new bands are becoming more and more and I hope that also the fans will become more. \r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Mark Reele of RIOT, calls you on the phone and offers you the place of the second guitarist, with standard income and world tour. Would you leave Crimson Fire; \r\n
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\r\nStelios: Of course I will try this experience and also because chances should not be thrown away….But never against the good of the band that I love.\r\n \r\n
\r\nMetalzone: If you have the opportunity to make a project, which musicians will you call to take part in it? \r\n
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\r\nStelios: I think that it would be a project of R.I.P. musicians..!! Of course, Jason Becker, J. H. Bonham, Freddy Mercury, Kai Hansen, Michael Sweet and many more.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Last words are yours. \r\n
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\r\nCrimson Fire: First of all, we would like to thank the magazine for this interview and also you. It is great happiness for us to talk about things that express ourselves. To sum up, we would like to say that in order for the Greek metal scene to go further, not only the record labels, but above all the bands as individuals, must support each other. The fans should not hesitate to support the band that they like. Finally, we would like to say a big thanks to all those who has supported us, believed and still believe to us!! Thank you very much!\r\n
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\r\nwww.myspace.com/crimsonfiregr \r\n
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\r\nNikoleta Sarantou \r\n
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\r\nTranslated by: Manos Maragos \r\n
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