Harvester

Vicious Knights

Between belief and facts, there is a lot that can be said about many things that people comprehend, or try to understand through various ways. The unnatural is compelling, and when it generates curiosity, it can be like a well without a clear depth. The Greek Thrash / Death Metal band, Vicious Knights, and their vocalist / guitarist, Anthony, also known as Harvester, have a lot to say about things that are dark, and disturbing. In particular, being possessed, and possession as a narrative. Steinmetal had a good chat with Anthony about the band's new album "Alteration Through Possession", and what makes the latter's intrigue in both music and overall

By Lior "Steinmetal" Stein

• February 6, 2022

Vicious Knights' Harvester: "I have some fundamental questions about life and death or about the cosmos that make me from my belief

Greetings Anthony, it is a good to have you for this conversation for Metal Temple online Magazine, how have you been?

Hello Lior, and thank you for having me in Metal Temple! I am doing all right!

Let's just say that it has been less than idle to be in a band, at least if you are craving for live appearances, in the past two years. Since the pandemic hit Greece pretty hard, upon its waves, how were you able to find the motivation to keep yourselves intact as a band?

We found motivation by the work we had to do, for the album. It is important to say that during these difficult times, we managed to continue the recordings and finalize the record, even with lockdown in all Greece. With that being said, Vicious Knights are determined to not give up and always fight for what they want to achieve!

In overall, Vicious Knights hasn't been roaming for that long, starting out in a different moniker for a short time, and right afterwards working under the current name. How can you sum up the short ride that you have up until now? What crown achievements, or milestones, would you care to mention that the band reached over the past several years?

Overall I would say that Vicious Knights have achieved some worth mentioning stuff and reached some of our goals. Some of them are the release of our first LP and the signing with Dying Victims Productions! Also I want to mention this very positive response from metal maniacs all over the world, that still supporting us and buying our merch.

Following your darkened doctrine, as a conceptual being that is part of you, "Alteration Through Possession", your debut album, was unleashed. First things first, it appears that you sort of did things by the book, starting with a single, then an EP, and afterwards, here we are with a full length. However, and I ask it rather a lot, how did you know that it was the right time to write songs for a debut full length release? Was it in the numbers, stars, or simply gut feeling?

Actually it was a mix of numbers and gut feeling, not the stars hahaha. Well, as the band progressed both musically and technically, we all knew that we have to record our first Full-Length so to present a complete work, playing our music as we love it and as the people could enjoy. We were planning to release the album 2 years after the E.P. but then the pandemic struk and caused us some delays. As you correctly mentioned we like and want to do these things by the book, even from when the band was founded, and so we did.

The album's title suggests a sort of an obvious occurrence, even though that hasn't been documented that much. However, it has been playing part in the imaginative construct of horror movies, and the burning minds of their creators. Personally, how do you find this title and the concept of possession of a body? Have you been researching the phenomenon?

I find it spooky and evil, something that hides a lot of horror imagination behind it. This is why we used that title, because we love to talk about these stuff in our songs and generate our own stories of horror. As far as the research is concerned, no, I do not make any important research about possessions etc. neither I actually believe in such things could happen in real life. But, I could not resist to look up to the many rumours or even newspaper news that were mentioned throughout all the years of mankind, and eventually be influenced by them.

In light of the album's title, and overall narrative, it would be interesting to know what you believe in exactly? Do you share a religious faith or merely a free spirit? How does the album represent your belief system?

Let's say I have my own belief over things. I do not support any organized religion, but I am not a totally spiritual denier or God denier. I have some fundamental questions about life and death or about the cosmos that make me from my belief, by studying both scientists and religion leaders' thoughts, sayings and conclusions. With that being said some metaphysic mentions through the album are obviously inspired by my belief system but not the whole album of course.

How do you find "Alteration Through Possession" as your escape route from the boiling pandemic issues, which might be part of us for some time?

It is the best avocation for me! To listen, promote and present my band and work to the people. It helps me escape reality in general and live in ''my'' world, let's say. Our new album is definitely something to keep me go forth!

Chaostouched, which has been active in your local scene, made you an artwork that describes the process of possession, on the other hand, it appears quite distorted, as the process is the other way around. Where the body is celestial and the possessing spirit is corporeal. What can you tell about this imagery? What can you tell in regards to the vision that stands behind its inception?

The artwork portrays three figures. Starts from a regular woman and ends with a possessed one. In this way we want to recreate, in a way, how someone can be altered if being possessed by a demon spirit. This is how I imagined the project from the beginning, after I saw a picture of a woman on the net!

Vicious Knights, while scouring the entrails of "Alteration Through Possession", appears as a sort of raw natured loose cannon, portraying a sense of release, putting up simplicity as main factor, delivering a blackened form of Thrash Metal of the late 80s, leaving everything untamed. What form of influences led you to this musical direction of "Alteration Through Possession"?

I believe that the musical influences are clear. Mid 80's European and South American thrash, which we tend to call Death/Thrash because it was way more aggressive than the initial USA Thrash of that era.

How do you find "Alteration Through Possession" as a step forward musically in contrast to your early EP? Would you say that your raw nature has been preserved or rather there is a maturity process involved?

I believe that of course we kept our raw nature and even turned out more aggressive. But I can see a more mature playing also, in terms of style variations that can be heard in the album and not to our first E.P.

Mostly, as if a rock was placed on the gas paddle, rarely to be taken away, "Alteration Through Possession" is a speeding bullet, presenting frenziness and pure energy. What can you share about the songwriting process of the record? How speedier can you guys get really?

We love playing fast, this is something that we will never stop doing! In general, I write the main riffs, and Liakos (the drummer) plays along. The rhythm section is constructed by both of us. Panos (bassist) overlooks the final progress and suggests his opinion or changes. I remember composing "Sleep With The Ghouls" song back in 2019 and trying to make Liakos how the break section should be played!! hahahah

There is a pure attack form in your songs, what can you say help ignite your aggressive manner on the songs? Would you say that after the writing process was over, ready to record, you felt drained a bit mentally due to the sort of character that you assume while being in the zone, so to speak?

When it is time to record, it all comes very naturally. I never felt mentally drained, more like focused in what I want to achieve. All the aggressiveness comes from inside, through my music I can express freely any emotion maybe I hide inside. This is the reason why I choose to play that style of music anyway.

Over the years, you have been in several bands, and you were able to experience writing and recording sessions, what can you say that "Alteration Through Possession" teach you? How did it develop your skills as a songwriter along with being a vocalist and guitarist?

More recordings mean more experience. Recording an album or an official material is like going to music school for a while. In the recording studio you learn, how really and in every detail, the way you sound. So it's a perfect manner to understand more about your music while putting your ideas of how you personally want to sound after the recordings is over.

I believe that the album's finest menace is the last track on the record, "Disenchanting the Matter (The Statue Is Alive)". The traditional sense is alive as well, yet I believe that this song shows how you developed, and upscale your potential. What can you tell about the process of making this particular track?

This track was the last we wrote before we entered the recording studio. So, this is why it feels more developed, because as we make new songs, we try different things! The process of making that particular song has no difference to other songs actually. On the other hand, we wanted to make something different in terms of rhythm parts and I think we achieved that.

When you listened to the entire record on your own, possibly through headphones in order to capture the experience right through the brain, what did you make of this listening? How do you grasp your own material?

After listening to the whole album, there was some things that I liked a lot, but I found many things that can be improved in future releases. But in general, I consider this album a great debut release which represents fully our style, attitude and our approach to this genre.

There are hopes that this pandemic's current wave is slowly coming to an end, and that is also a dangerous wishful thinking, due to that, there is a hope that it would be possible to perform live sometime soon. Do you plan on doing so to support the record?

Of course, we missed live shows as anything else! We are planning on making a Greek tour soon enough to promote the album. If the situation about the pandemic gets better, live shows would be our first priority as a band.

Anthony, thank you again for your time for this interview. It was a pleasure to get to know the band and of course the debut record. I wish you all the best. Cheers

Thanks again for having me Lior! Vicious Knights Attack