XMAS Metal Spirit vol.1: An interview with the people behind it!

Just before the wonderful Christmas party, XMAS Metal Spirit vol.1, that they're putting together at Holywood Stage on December 24th, the three bands talked to us about the event and shared some Christmas thoughts!

Seeing as we're gearing up for one hell of a metal Christmas party, what does Christmas mean to you?!

Φώτης Σωτηρόπουλος (Fortress Under Siege): 'A festive mood, good company and lots of smiles.'

The Silent Wedding: 'For most people Christmas is a family holiday. For me its meaning changed depending on my age. As a kid it was the tree, the presents, and my grandparents' house where the whole family gathered. In my teenage and young adult years it was nights out with friends. Now that I'm older, between work and obligations, it just means rest.'

Selefice: 'Definitely, and regardless of anyone's religious beliefs, Christmas is a lovely time, especially if you're a kid. But even if you're not, it's a good excuse for family gatherings and for meeting up with friends you can't easily see the rest of the year due to lack of time. Generally, it's one of the most pleasant stretches of the year and a good opportunity to have a good time!'

What was the most interesting musical experience related to Christmas? Some live show, some musical memory, some funny story...

Φώτης Σωτηρόπουλος (Fortress Under Siege): 'One time we went out caroling with my brother and I decided to upgrade the group by playing harmonica instead of the triangle, and I made one mistake after another, so that every time I hit a wrong note my brother would take off running, and I had no choice but to chase after him. The funny thing is we had barged into the Red Cross and gone barreling through the patients' rooms, and every time I messed up and my brother bolted, they'd yell at us to stop so they could give us our treat, and I was always torn between following the path of shame or staying put and collecting the cash.'

The Silent Wedding: 'Right up until the day before Christmas Eve of 2012 we were in the Netherlands for our first European tour with Maiden United. An amazing, unforgettable experience. Just as unforgettable will be the trip back. Because of the holidays our flight connection was badly delayed, so we were forced to stay in Rome on Christmas Eve. We wandered around, got to know the airport and Italian "hospitality," and so we had the chance to enrich our experiences even further.'

Selefice: 'Musically, to be honest, nothing specific comes to mind. But I do have a funny story that happened during the holiday season! New Year's Eve, sometime around 1991 or 1992, the members of Selefice, with our crew in Chaidari, had printed up a completely surreal poster titled Labadarios Beach with a photo in the background of priests from the Holy Synod of Greece, you know, metropolitans and the like, gathered around a big table.

The poster didn't mean anything at all, we just wanted to troll our town on the first day of the year! We plastered it everywhere, literally, all night long, and the next day the whole of Chaidari kept running into this poster! In the following days we found out that the Security services were trying to find out who did it, in case it was terrorists or anarchists or something like that, haha!
We laughed about it for months...'

You decided to honour the Christmas spirit by organising a huge live party, beyond the traditional customs! What's the ideal Christmas Eve celebration you'd want to experience / throw?

Φώτης Σωτηρόπουλος (Fortress Under Siege): 'I'm hoping it'll be this year's one.'

The Silent Wedding: 'The ideal Christmas Eve celebration is the one we're going to experience on 24/12/2022!! At Holywood Stage. Playing live the music we love! After the live show, on with our friend Napoleon taking over as DJ! Drinks and friends!! What else could we ask for?'

Selefice: 'I think that celebrating Christmas Eve by playing metal live with 2 other excellent bands is one of the most ideal ways to do it! So we're hoping that this one coming up will be top-notch!'

Tell me a bit about the band's future plans. Upcoming live shows, upcoming albums...

Φώτης Σωτηρόπουλος (Fortress Under Siege): 'We'll be playing big festivals both at home and abroad, and something smaller isn't out of the question either, and in the autumn of 2023 our new record will be released by ROAR Rock of Angels Records.’

The Silent Wedding: 'Right now we've booked some live shows in various cities across Greece with our friends Illusory. Larissa, Agrinio, and more are on the way. We've also been in talks about a new tour abroad, but it's not the right time to say anything more about that yet. As for new material, we'll start working on new songs once 2023 arrives.'

Selefice: 'Aside from this upcoming show, we don't have anything else planned at the moment. The goal is to focus on the band's new material, with the aim of starting recordings for our new album sometime in 2023. We hope we won't run into any more setbacks and that it actually happens!'

To wrap up, I'd like you to draw a connection between your band and Christmas. Give us one reason that'll get us out to Holywood for this original Christmas Eve party.

Φώτης Σωτηρόπουλος (Fortress Under Siege): 'To see three really good bands playing quality, powerful music and for all of us to have fun until we drop. What else could anyone ask for?'

The Silent Wedding: 'I have nothing else to say except that finally Christmas can be a family affair for people who love metal music and want to celebrate in a different way. Also, let's not forget those people who either don't want to, or can't, spend the holidays with family. So we'll be the best company for them. Three really powerful bands from the scene and an after party that'll make this Christmas an unforgettable one.'

Selefice: 'You'll see 3 really powerful bands, you'll hear the best metal music from the night's DJ, and you'll be able to say you had the most metal Christmas ever! We'll be waiting for you!'