On the 26th of November, Beyond Perception is going to tear up the scene of Gagarin 205, Athens, Greece, along with Elysion and Nightrage! Get ready to dive into the wicked world of Beyond Perception, the Greek groove metal maestros, who are about to take you on a wild ride through riffs, beats, and stories that’ll make your head bang. Nikk Perros (drums), who kindly answered our questions, tried to prepare us!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
In a few days you are playing a live show in Athens with Elysion and Nightrage. How do you feel about that? Which are your expectations from this show?
First of all, we are excited that we are playing along with Elysion and Nightrage. Two great bands that are amazing to what they do. It’s a great mix of various heavy sounds and it’s a great opportunity for us to play in front of a different audience.
This year you released an EP, called “Guile”. How would you describe the songs of this release? How much different is it from your previous releases?
Stylistically not much have been changed. With the arrival of Nikk we can tell that our grooves have been changed into a more straightforward metal sound. We also worked a lot in the production of the songs with Fotis Benardo in DevaSoundz and with his experience we managed to get the 100% of our abilities and then the mix that Nik did in Hell studios was the top of the notch for our sound.
“Guile” was self-released. Why did you release it by yourselves? Are you in contact with any record labels?
Well we wanted to have absolute freedom and do whatever we want with no limitations from a label regarding the songs and the promotion of the EP.
Who are some of the key influences on Beyond Perception’s groove metal sound? How do these influences contribute to your unique style?
Whatever has heavy noisy guitars and loud drums is a big influence for us. If the song makes us want to drink beers and sweat from the head banging and dance to the groove, then it sounds like a great influence. It doesn’t matter if its death metal, stoner, prog-rock, hard rock, punk etc.
Groove metal often emphasizes rhythmic elements. How does Beyond Perception incorporate groove into your music, and what role does it play in shaping your sound?
All members in the band are millennials so we grew up listening to bands from the 90s and early 00s that groove was a huge factor for heavy music.
All these sounds and grooves built a mindset that we need to take these heavy riffs and make them groove properly so we can see heads rolling.
How have the themes and lyrical content in Beyond Perception’s music evolved over the course of your discography? What messages do you aim to convey through your lyrics?
Well lyrics were always have to do with state of mind. On how things are and how they should be. They talk about pain and redemption. Always try to see the bright side of life. Most of the time we fail though.
You are well-known for your intense live shows. How do you prepare for your live performances, and what do you hope the audience takes away from the experience?
Lots of rehearsals and the need to take all our negative feelings that we have inside andmake them in a positive rock n roll vibe. We are trying to create amazing memories and have an on and off stage party.
Do you have any particular songs from your discography that are personal favorites to perform live? What makes these tracks stand out for you?
We really like to play “To the point” from our new EP, “Order of the Pigs” from “Anthem for the Wasted” and “Hydra” from “Blood & Whiskey” albums.
Are there any artists or bands you would love to collaborate with in the future?
Ooof. If we start, we might need few pages to write them down. We love to experiment and collaborate with different style artists so they can give us a different touch in our songs as Chrysa Tsaltampasi did on “Shellshock Blues” in our latest EP.
Greece has a vibrant extreme metal scene. How has being part of the Greek metal community influenced Beyond Perception’s journey? What unique aspects does the Greek scene bring to the global metal stage?
Almost 20 years of being part of Greek metal scene we have seen many bands come and go. Many left their marks and some still keep rocking and releasing awesome music. What Greek scene has to offer is lot of feta and tzatziki in metal. Just kidding! Nothing comes easy for most of the bands in Greece, so this madness and dedication that drives the Greek bands to achieve their goals gives an extra energy in their music.
When should we expect your new full-length album? Have you written any new material? Give us any info!
We have started already writing new material. Probably next year we will manage to release new stuff. Now if it’s going to be an album an EP or just singles, time will tell.
Looking ahead, how do you envision the future of Beyond Perception’s groove metal sound? Are there new directions or elements you’d like to explore in upcoming releases?
We would love to hear Makis sing more Arias. That would be fun!! Other than that we are experimenting with new stuff and we are trying to create songs that people can relate to and head bang.
Your message to the fans!
Support Greek metal scene guys. You will find lots of amazing bands that need your support to thrive. Hope to see you on the show with Elysion and Nightrage on 26th.
