1. Moeror was born in 2018, what prompted you to want to form Moeror? Why did you choose the name Moeror and what does it refer to?
Giannis: Moeror was born from the need of self-expression. Moeror means grief in latin. Humanity nowadays is overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness, trapped in a vicious circle, unable to even imagine outside the box. So, we felt it was a fitting name for us.
2. Most of Moeror's line-up comes from the Greek melodic death / doom band Nekkar except X. Which comes from Human Serpent. What does Moeror give you more focused on black metal, with respect to Nekkar? How did the inclusion of X. in the band come about?
Giannis: Moeror is a completely different project, although we share most of Nekkar’s members. The way we perceive our music nowadays has changed a lot since the Nekkar days, gearing to a more extreme sound. I know X. since way back and respect him as an artist, so we decided to form this band together.
3. In 2019 you edit two songs in EP format, with the title of “Sag”, two songs that sound raw and with a sound perhaps owed to the bands you came from, how would you define the sound of this first album? How was the writing and recording process for this EP?
Giannis: Each of these works reflects our feelings and state of mind at the time of writing. The "Sag" EP is a more intimate work, raw and esoteric. The production of Sag was more spontaneous in contrast to the new album.
4. However, the 2020 edition of your first album "The Ghosts of Amour Propre" is a leap in terms of sound and proposal, highlighted by a much more avant-garde sound and the inclusion of synthesizers that give the sound greater depth. How was the composition and recording process of this first album with respect to the EP? Was it very difficult to carry out the recording of a sound so varied and rich in nuances?
Kostis: The way we compose varies between songs. Sometimes one presents a riff or a section of a song, and the other adds his own variations on it, building a song slowly. While in other cases, one might present an almost finished song and little is changed until the time of recording. The use of synths was something we always wanted to incorporate into our music, even before Moeror, as a core ingredient of our sound. As the new songs were starting to take form, it became apparent that the arrangement and production of the album was to be very different than what we were used to. But since we had full creative and technical control, we could explore different approaches to our sound without the pressure of time or money, until we were satisfied with the result.
5. In “The Ghosts of Amour Propre” there are avant-garde elements, post punk, darkwave, etc ..., how would you define the sound of the album for those who have not yet heard it?
Giannis: “The Ghosts of Amour Propre” incorporates avant-garde elements having a black metal core. We are certainly influenced by post punk, as well as other genres of music, but we think of our music as black metal.
6. Despite being a Greek band, a country with a huge tradition within black, if your sound is reminiscent of the batch of polka bands that is emerging lately in the line of Furia, Odraza, etc .. Are you aware of the Polish scene? Is he an influence on you in any way? What is your opinion of the aforementioned polka bands?
Kostis: The Polish black metal scene, along with Norwegian avant-garde are big influences on our sound. In my perspective, what made the Greek black metal bands stand out in the 90s, was the emotional and melodic leads contrasting within intense black metal songs. And in that regard, I think they left a big impression on the way we write music.The bands you mentioned, brought along a fresh attitude in black metal, and are among our favorites.
7. The album manages to convey a feeling of loneliness and suffocation of the human being in urban environments, can we talk about a concept album? Why did you decide to treat these issues in your lyrics?
Kostis: Even though I do enjoy listening to music as a means of escapism, we do not use our music in this way. Instead of using Moeror as a way to step away from reality, we use it as a lens, a way to process the absurdity of reality. Each song in this album explores a different aspect of human existence in this cage humankind built for themselves.
8. Returning a little to the issue of the Polish bands mentioned above and in relation to the theme of cities, are you aware of the work of two bands such as Odium Humani Genereis or Sznur? Have they been an inspiration when developing the theme of the album?
Giannis: I haven’t heard any of these bands. Our inspiration for a more minimal, urban aesthetic comes mainly from our love of post-punk.
9. Who designed the album cover? On this cover, where there is a space between two buildings, an allegory of the alignment of human beings in cities and the loss of identity and values?
Giannis: Exactly! We experimented with other styles at first, like hand-drawn and dark imagery, but nothing fit the music quite like the suffocating austerity of concrete. The album cover was shot by a photographer friend of ours, Andreas, who does stunning black & white photography. The building in the cover, as well as all photos in the album’s artwork are from buildings around our neighborhood here in Athens.
10. The album has been edited by Black Theta, which I understand is your property. How did the idea of creating your own record label come about? Is this a way of releasing releases that by style do not fit entirely with others? them stamps and thus do it with greater freedom? How did the possibility of editing on cassette through Azure Graal come about?
Giannis: We want to have as much control as possible around any aspect of the band. From the writing process, mix and production to the actual delivered product. Instead of going for another self release, we just decided to make an entity outside the band to house our releases. There are labels out there that I believe our music would fit to, but we decided to have ultimate freedom with what we do. This of course has many drawbacks too, since we can’t promote our work at the level a professional label would. About the cassette edition, Daniel from Azure Graal reached out to us and we happily agreed since the terms of our cooperation were fine. The result was really great!
11. Although Moeror has not yet made any concert, the suspension of the same by Covid-19 has not been a problem in itself for the band in this sense, however, in what way has the current situation influenced you, both when it comes to getting together to rehearse, the contact with the fans, the promotion or the mood that can be reflected in your music?
Kostis: There were no plans for live shows, so it did not affect us in that way. Thankfully, we just managed to put the album together just before the second lockdown here in Greece. Any future plans we have are most likely going to be delayed though as it seems. Seeing the government turn against its people in these difficult times, as well as the whole “us vs them” mentality we see everyday in social media just makes us more dedicated to the band.
12. How were your beginnings in music: first albums you bought, first concerts you attended, etc. What did you do in your lives that made you want to dedicate yourself to music?
Kostis: Like a lot of people, we started playing music for fun as youth. But over the years, music became a big part of our lives. It’s something we have to do in order to express ourselves. The first albums I’ve bought were probably Queen’s II and Iron Maiden’s “A Real Live Dead One”. There was a yearly metal festival in my hometown of Lamia in the early 00s, these were my first concerts.
13. Greece was always a pioneer country in black metal with a very consolidated scene in the nineties, how do you think Hellenic black metal has evolved in these years? Maybe you are a band that doesn't quite fit into this scene and your influences and expectations are outside your country?
Kostis: A lot of the newer bands in Greece, do not necessarily adhere to the classic Greek black metal style of the 90s. Today music is more global than ever. Influences come from everywhere around the globe.
14. Which album defines for you the essence of black metal? What last albums have you bought?
Kostis: It’s difficult to select only one album from such a diverse genre. I’m torn between “HEart of the Ages” from In the Woods… and Ved Buens Ende's “Written in Waters”. The last albums I bought were Wieże Fabryk’s “Dym’, an awesome post-punk band from Łódź, Poland, and “Visions of Bodies Being Burned” by clipping., an experimental/industrial hip hop from the USA.
15. What more immediate future plans do you have for Moeror? Are you already working on new songs with a view to an upcoming release? Maybe a reissue?
Giannis: We have plans for releasing some music in 2021, maybe an EP., but nothing is certain at this point. Either way we are writing new stuff, so something will eventually be released. A reissue of a previous work is not something that we think for the moment.
16. Thank you very much for the time dedicated to Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Moeror fans this is the place. I hope the questions have been to your liking
Giannis: It was our honor! Many thanks to everyone who supported us in our vision. Take care!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Opium Warlords – Taste My Sword Of Understanding (2 LP - Gold) 22,99 €
350 x gold (2LP)
Taste My Sword Of Understanding is the third offering of OPIUM WARLORDS, the final project of Sami Albert Hynninen (REVEREND BIZARRE, THE PURITAN, SPIRITUS MORTIS, ARMANENSCHAFT, AZRAEL RISING, THE CANDLES BURNING BLUE, KLV, TÄHTIPORTTI, MARCH 15 and ORNE).
In comparison to the earlier albums Live At Colonia Dignidad (Cobra, 2009), andWe Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky (Svart, 2012), it takes a few steps towards more conventional and easy-to-listen-to levels, but still can’t be mistaken for the average force-fed background bubblegum hum you might hear on the radio.
Composed between 1994 and 2009, recorded in 2010, mixed in 2013 – ripened, literally, with blood, tears, sweat, and exotic neurochemical fluids – Taste My Sword Of Understanding is at the same time minimal and complicated, light and heavy; sometimes gentle and soothing, sometimes raw and cruel, but always real and naked, and this time you may find – among all the repetition, weird noises, and floating on the drone and ultra-light chimes – even some essence of epic Heavy Metal on board.
Opium Warlords on this album were: Sami Albert Hynninen, with Erkki Virta (PROTECTED ILLUSION, L.A.M.F., THE PURITAN) and Laura Länsimäki (MARIA, ARMANENSCHAFT).
The album was recorded and co-produced by Jouni Leppikangas and mastered by Joona Lukala, both of who also worked on We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky and MARCH 15 album Our Love Becomes A Funeral Pyre
