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Hello! How are you? First of all, since with “resurrection” album the band makes a new start, i would like you to tell us when you have decided to form sorrows path and present the current line-up.
Hello, Nikos. We all feel great! In May of 2005 we did a jam and we really understood that the band’s founder Kostas Salomidis had partly overcome his neck problem and his hands had regained some of their previous power. We never wanted to quit Sorrows Path for real. The band was inactive just because of a terrible game of fate! So, after this event the rest was just a matter of time. The current line-up was completed by Fotis Mountouris in December 2005 when our drummer and friend Gregory Vlachos was forced to choose between his band Marauder and Sorrows Path because of some personal problems that did not allow him not to have the time required for 2 bands!
If someone reads the band bio and sees your name sorrows path, he will realize that it fits perfectly to the history of the group so far. Don’t you agree? After the tragic loss of the founder of the band and the accident that another member had, didn’t you think to change the name?
No! In fact, Sorrows Path have always been an intellectual band so all these serious problems were faced with hard philosophical thought! Even if we had changed our name nothing could have actually been changed in any way! The mortal life of all people would be just the same: a vain path of sorrow to something else! On the other hand we never were prejudiced!
Your debut album has the title “resurrection”. I believe that you want to pass a message to the people with this title. Am i right? Can you tell us a few things about it?
We found that “Resurrection” was right from many different points of view. It stands for the resurrection of the band, the resurrection of the two founders, since one of them had just partly recovered from a very serious health problem and the other was about to “relive” through his music. Last, but most important, this title had a straight connection to the general philosophy of Sorrows Path. It brings the joyful message of resurrection through the process of pain and sympathy for all those who suffer on Earth, those to whom the majority of the lyrics of these old songs were dedicated. Besides, the lyrics of Sorrows Path in general are dedicated to the extreme human psychological situations, they are dedicated to the weak and the different ( tortured women and children, sick in mind or body, prisoners, old men, whores, ideologists, philosophers, victims of racism and sexism, etc).
All the songs that you have included on your first album are taken from your demo and promo. Did you change them a bit and if yes in which way?
The only change is that the songs were digitally remastered on CD, so that there is an improvement when it comes to the quality of the sound.
Do you have any new material ready? When should we wait for a new album from sorrows path?
We have at about 40 compositions ready! We have pre-chosen 25 of them and we can let you know that we aim to record and release a new album in 2007! This album will contain 12 heavy new songs!
Along with your cd you’ve sent me a dvd from a live performance of yours. Where have you shot it? Do you plan to release it officially? Either way can a fan order it from you?
No way! It’s a handy shot from our first live performance after nine years -we played along with Solitude Aeturnus at Underworld Club in Athens - and we just decided to send it to some serious people and webzines so that they could see what Sorrows Path are now, that is to say after the reunion.
I am sure that this interview will be also read by people that have never heard of your music. So in a few words try to give them a description in order to make them understand what you play. Also name some of your influences…
Back in 1993 when Sorrows Path were formed, they were inspired mostly by their favorite bands: Memento Mori, Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass! Now as the years have passed we certainly continue on the doom metal path but we try to achieve a completely personal style, a ‘Sorrows Path’ doom style in our music!
You signed with eat metal records. Which were the reasons that led you to a such decision? Will they help you financially in the production of your new album?
It’s very simple! The guys did the best offer! We don’t know yet under what record label our next album (and first, to tell the whole truth) will be released!
If i asked you to make a comparison between candlemass and solitude aeturnus, which would you choose as your favorite band and why?
These two bands are really great! Candlemass created all this music style. If you say the word “doom” then the answer will be Candlemass, even from people who just don’t listen to heavy metal! On the other hand, Solitude Aeturnus is the band that mixed many metal genres, took elements from musical tastes even outside heavy metal, but they are still “doomer” than doom! All the members of Sorrows Path prefer to listen to Solitude Aeturnus, to tell the truth. They are closer to their musical tastes!
Do you have plans for live shows? Is it possible to visit thessaloniki?
There are some connections and we believe that we will visit Thessaloniki in the next autumn! It’s really a pity that we have never before performed live in the second biggest city of Greece!
Have you sent your album to press abroad? What kind of comments did you receive so far?
Yes, of course! There are some good comments from webzines and metal magazines! We certainly didn’t make big movements if you take the time to understand that we are not a well-known band in a world scale and this release “Resurrection” is just the remaster from our demo tapes from 1995 and 1996! We all have to wait for our next album in 2007, of course!
Thank you for your time replying these questions! Good luck with your band and leave a message to the readers of the webzine…
Thanx to you Nikos! We appreciate your whole interest very much! A message to the readers of Behind The Veil????...You, take care and never forget! Doom rules eternally…
