Shatter is a progressive rock/metal band formed in 2016 in Athens. They are on their way to release their first EP and until then they will be presenting some of their new work live. This will happen on January 20th when they will perform on stage along with My Inferno, Owl, Nihilgod and Trigger at BUMS in Athens.
Can you tell us briefly about Shatter? When did you officially begin?
Hello there! We are Shatter, a progressive rock/metal band from Greece! We are almost two years old at the time we speak and progressing well in the whole time, making live shows and writing our own music, hoping to leave our own marks out there.
Is there a specific explanation behind the name Shatter you chose for the band?
The selection of this name uncovers an actually very funny story. Without mentioning the details -it would take us an eternity- I’ll just let you imagine 4 guys debating through a voice chat for about 5 hours, with lots and lots of suggestions coming up, even up to the last minute! Finally we decided to keep it simple, and chose the name “Shatter” as our band name, creating the band’s logo in the process. (Special thanks to Yul Sada for his fantastic work).
You are a progressive rock/metal band with influences such as Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Tool and Dream Theater among others. Are these influences referring to the kind of music you play or also exclusively listen to?
Actually it’s a bit of both. Yes, these bands represent our main influences but we really want to write and produce our own unique music, as much as this is possible. As per our tastes in what we hear, I can tell you the fact that there are a lot of times when we actually discover new bands just because each one of us listens to different kinds of music or even different bands within a certain kind. As an example, I’m a big fan of Leprous and their style, and George P., our guitarist, is a big fan of Dream Theater and Periphery. And this happens a lot more not just with bands, but also with completely different music, like jazz or funk, or even thrash (why not). We can’t ignore that we are different persons, with different influences, which though will lead us to create our own style and sound.
What are the things you find most appealing in the bands that have influenced you and generally in the kind of music you chose to play?
The main thing in progressive music, is the actual freedom it gives you to express yourself. For some, progressive may mean complex riffs, complex time signatures, or technical plays, but to us… It means a lot more. The creativity which can originate from this freedom, gives a fantastic opportunity to produce something different, good to hear, and above all, make art. Because this is all about, making art. And music is one of the most interactive forms of art between the artist and the listener.
You are quite active regarding live shows. What are you usually playing?
As of now, we’ve performed covers of our favourite bands, and even presented our very first song called ‘Lost Memories‘. We’ve always wanted to be interactive with the audience, meet new people, musicians and etc. so we’re trying to press on that. We are also eager to earn as much experience as possible in the process, as we are developing our own music and presenting it to the public.
In some of the videos you have uploaded from the live shows you are covering songs from Tool and Porcupine Tree. Have you ever received a specific critic from fans of those bands?
Yes, and from our very first live show we’ve received very good feedback with people suggesting us (almost since day one) to create our own music, and that’s definitely something we really want to focus on, playing our favourite covers along the way.
Is there any release from Shatter yet and if not, are you working on something?
As of now we haven’t released anything in public, but we’ve already got a couple of songs ready, with ‘Lost Memories‘ even played at some live shows. Even more songs are in the stage of writing, and we really hope that we’ll be able to record and release our very first EP soon.
You are performing on January 20th at BUMS in Athens. What can the audience expect from you to listen?
This will be our very first live show with our new guitarist, George, and it will be an excellent time for people to check where we are at. Because as a band we are currently focusing on creating more music, but at the same time, we really feel that kind of need to interact with the audience, it’s something we really want and love to do. For newcomers, it will also be an excellent time to see us live and meet us on stage!
Thank you for your time! Add anything you wish to close this interview!
We thank you and your webpage for this opportunity, and see you on January 20th..!
Photo credits: Jominatrix
Mary Kalaitzidou