1.-Hails, Iskios! To start off somewhere, could you introduce with a few words your band Ochros Iskios? What is exactly Ochros Iskios?

Ochros Iskios was started by me as black ambient / darkwave project with all music made exclusively with computers. I started the project at the same time as my black metal band HYDRA, in late 1995. I created Ochros Iskios because I felt that I had some music that only would suit with synths. But some of the Ochros Iskios music was first arranged for guitar in HYDRA, but later I changed it so it would suit in the Ochros Iskios songs. When you hear the forthcoming HYDRA demo “POLEMOS” you will recognize some music from Ochros Iskios. The influences of Ochros Iskios are quite varied but I usually say it’sa mix of N.A.O.S. and Ordo Equilibrio, judge yourself.

2.-So far you seem to have recorded 3 demos (Makedonias, Achaia and Efthanisia). Could you speak a bit on them and which are the concepts / lyrics behind them?

Basically it tells about stories about every of these locations. Eftanisia is about legends and myths from the seven Ionian islands. That’s why you can hear a litlle folk influence on this demo. Achaia is about the proud men and warriors of Achaia, that’s why I’ve got marching drums in every song of that demo.

Makedonias tells not only about Filippos and Alexandros land but also about the recent quarells with the ex Jugoslavians.

3.-Ochros Iskios is a one-man band. Why is this so? Moreover, how do you manage to do it all yourself? I know technology plays an important role in it all …

Ochros Iskios is a one man band because there can only be one Iskios. Everything is made with one computer and the most of music just comes to me when I work so then it’s just to type in the music.

4.-My fave song is “Achaian Storm”. Could you tell us how was it born, and what is the meaning of the song? Is it in any way a tribute to the legendary Achaian warriors?

“Achaian Storm” is also the song I’m most satisfied with and the main melody was something that I had played with for a while on the guitar. Then I played it on piano and realised that it was sounding very good. Later I found out that it sounded even better with marching drums. The rest of music was just something that came to me while I was writing the song.

5.-It seems to me that you’re extremely influenced by mighty Hellas. What are your feelings towards Greece?

I see Hellas as the cradle of culture and the birth of western civilazation. I don’t want to write my poltical opinion here, as I have recieved lot of shit after my statements about the Turks on Cyprus.

6.-Moreover, how do you foresee the future for Hellas when so many incidents and conflicts happen so oftenly around Greece with Turkey, Cyprus, Albania, the ex-Jugoslavian republic of Skopje (who claim to be Macedonians)?

I think that the Cyprus question will be solved some time. First of It’sa Greek Island, the Cypriots speek Greek, but in 1974 or when it was the Turks got the idea to invade Cyprus beacuse the turks of Cyprus felt threatened. Anyway if the Turks want to become a member of the European Union (EU) they will have to release Cyprus that’s said by someone, I don’t remember who it was. But when will Turkey be able to become a member of the EU? Their human rights are a joke. Military everywhere, even on the beaches. I mean how fun is it to take a swim when there’sa drunk Turk with a machine gun watching you. But Turkey and Greece will not start a war, you see both countries are members of NATO. I don’t think NATO would allow any of it’s members to fight eachother. In the Albania question I’m not so well informed so I don’t to say something in this except that there’s coming more and more albanians to Greece every day. If Albania wasn’t so fucked up as a land Greece should invade it, it was once ours. In the Macedonia question we all know how it is, these skopje clowns are fakes. They have nothing with our ancestors to do. And the idea that they wanted the sun found on Filippos coffin is a fucking joke. They have nothing to do with it. Macedonia – 3000 years of Greek civilization!

7.-By the way, one of your songs is titled “Makedonias”. It is a very repetitive and monotonous. Was it done in purpose to create an aetherical atmosphere or what?

The whole demo is very monotonous, and that’s because I was in that mood when wrote the music. I believe that music should be lengthy to get the right atmosphere.

8.-I know that you play along with Ochros Iskios in several other bands. What are their names, and what kind of music do you play with them?

Well first of all, we have HYDRA. This is my greek black metal group in which we play primitive black metal, some say it sounds like a little more melodic than Darkthrone. The remarkable thing about HYDRA is that we don’t use any keyboards, acoustic or clean guitars or clean vocals. It’s just extreme black metal. There has been various line-up changes, but today it’s as follows: Iskios-guitar / backing vocals, Dusk (from Siebenbürgen) – vocals. We are the two stable members of HYDRA, then we have a session drummer and bass player.

The second of my bands is NATTFROSSA. This is the group which I lay most of my time on. We play folklore metal with female vocals. Two demos has been released and a third will follow in the Autumn.

Then we have DIMNESS, a Death Metal project started 1993, later it turned more black metal. Nowadays we hardly ever rehearse, but it’s said that we will release a last Death / Black demo which will kick ass for the lord.

At last we have our drunken metal project FUNERAL FUCK, we play bloodcore, with bad music and musicanship and that’s beacuse we are drunk we record. Anyway it’s fun.

9.-You seem to be a die-hard black metal fan. What does black metal make so special in your eyes? How do you see the scene?

Well, I can’t say that I’ma diehard BM-fan. As first of all I’m no Satanist, I’m an Atheist and I can understand Satanists as I also dislike christians and I see those as the weaker ones. But I am a patriot.The black metal I like is (Of course) the Greek one. Especially Agatus, Zemial, Legion of Doom. Otherwise I don’t like international black metal that much. With the exception for Darkthrone (Nor) and Sigh (Jap) which are two fucking great bands. The scene is quite fucked I think with a lot of shitty bands. Anyway other great metal is German Kreator and Accept, that’s what I call metal.

10.-What about the future? What are the next moves for Ochros Iskios? Maybe looking for a deal?

Actually I don’t know for how long I will continue with Ochros Iskios as I dont feel any inspirations for making this kind of music anymore. But this will probably change when the summer’s over. I think I will send the Achaia demo to some companies, maybe “Cold Meat Industry” or something like that.

11.-Ok, that’s all. Close this interview as you like most, and may the gods be with thee.

Thanks a lot for the interview Andreas, and remember …. The Members of the HYDRA order recalls: “If you choose to criticize, you choose your enemies. “