Since we're from an Online Metal Zine, my first question would be about your relationship with the Internet. What do you think about it?
I think it's the thing for the future. We have a website, which is very important to us and for the fans for many reasons. Such a reason would be the existence of many bad rumors. If there are any rumors at all the fan can visit our website and read the truth.
What is your opinion about the mp3 files?
I don't think I have any real problem with that because when fans want to buy the whole Mystic Circle album or any other band's album they just go out and buy it. Now if they want a song just to get a taste of the album I really don't mind if they download it. Of course that's what the right fan should do, I myself am a fan and I buy the albums I want. I don't go to Napster to download them.
The Great Beast is your fourth full-length album, how do you feel about it? Are you satisfied with the result?
Yes we are very satisfied with it. From the cover to the music and the whole thing in general because we had plenty of time to write and practice the songs as well as work together with the artists on the cover and the sound is much better than the previous ones.
Did you have any problems during the recording sessions?
[Pause] Nope! None! (Laughs). Everything went as planned, except for one incident where our guitar player overwhelmed with excitement, took the finished CD, went to the recording room, put the CD on and turned the volume so loud that the speakers exploded (laughs). That was the only problem if I could call it a problem at all. So everything went very good.
How long did the recording sessions last?
Six weeks. Our keyboard player is very into the recording stuff so we had the whole day to work and produce the album with out having to wait for someone.
In The Great Beast you seem to have decreased your speed and given a more Heavy feeling. Why's that?
Because in the older days we played so fast and a mid-tempo produces much more power on stage, so that's what we've been trying to achieve with this album but I think our next album will be more brutal, cruel and dark. This will be the next step. It's not the old Mystic Circle style but we're trying to gain more experience with that sound for our next album.
Could you say that you are experimenting on your music?
No, not really but we think we've managed to create our own style so we take it a bit further. We are not going to change our music though.
What is the thematology of The Great Beast?
The lyrics are much more personal against the institution of the church and against any religion so I use these Antichrist lyrics as I am sworn against religions. Because I think that everybody has to think for himself and be his own God and also have respect for others. You don't need God to tell you how your whole life should be.
Could you make a comparison between The Great Beast and your previous albums?
Yes The Great Beast is much more powerful and our technicality in playing has increased a lot. It's not as confused as the last album. We reached the top on that and we want to go back to our old days but with a better production now, we went more into the Heavy Metal stuff. We combine almost all the styles of the extreme music, heavy, dark, black and death metal.
During your last three albums you made no less than eight European tours in order to promote them. Do you have any touring plans for this album as well?
Yeah We will be with Marduk now on tour, then in September we'll go on a headliner tour through Europe but sadly we won't pass through Greece. On March we'll be out on the road again for two months maybe. After that we'll go to England to record out new album and maybe America but I don't know if Massacre is licensed there.
Are your planing to participate in any big festival this year as well? Wacken maybe?
Not this year, I phoned our promoter about Wacken and he said that we can play there next year. Besides, we will be working during the summer on our headliner tour, our live video and of course on new material so we'll be very busy.
Since you mentioned Massacre-Records, are you satisfied with what they've offered to the band so far?
Yes, I'm very satisfied with them because they give us the distribution we need as well as the opportunities to tour through Europe. Generally we are very satisfied with Massacre-Records. I don't know. Can you find our CDs in the stores in Greece?
Sure you can, but you have to search a bit for them.
How do you see the future of Heavy Metal around the world in general?
It's getting better and better. More and more people are joining the Metal scene and I can see that from the audience. One good thing is that the audience is more open minded than lets say two years ago.
So you approve the use of samples and electronic sounds in this kind of music? Take for example what The Kovenant did with Animatronic.
I liked Animatronic a lot. I don't have any problem with this kind of experimentation. I like almost all kinds of extreme music and The Kovenant did a great job but Mystic Circle is a Metal Group and I wouldn't like to reach such experimentation.
Could you make any comments on the title and the cover of The Great Beast?
The artist of the cover is the same that did the Immortal and Impaled Nazarene covers, he's a great painter. It shows the Great Beast and the gates of hell. The man in the middle of the cover is the Great Beast and the angels and such are the impaled angels.
But why a man representing the Great Beast?
Because, I think that evil exists everywhere especially in humanity cause people generate evil and it should be faced with a sense of reality and not as a legend of sorts. That why it has a human face.
Now something more general but still concerning your music though. What are your influences as a person and as a band?
Of course Alice Cooper, Maiden and generally old heavy metal stuff up to Satanic Metal such as Deicide and Archaron.
Finally a message to all of your fans on the net.
Thanks for listening to Mystic Circle, Come visit our website if you want at www.Mystic-Circle.de
Thanks Man, Take care.
You too man, bye.
