Their new album is a real banger, they have just completed a small tour abroad and they are about to present their new songs at An Club in Athens, Greece. We are talking about Calyces, the Greek heavy prog band, which tears down genres and labels and offers us a treasure of riffs, grooves and other precious sonic assets in “Fleshy Waves of Probability”. Myth of Rock spoke with the band just a few days before their Athenian concert and shares the details of that conversation below!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
Give us a short biography of Calyces. How is Calyces connected to Tardive Dyskinesia?
Calyces were formed in 2018, out of my need to create something new musically, under a fresh identity, since my band at the time, Tardive Dyskinesia, had gone on hiatus. We released our first album, “Impulse to Soar”, in 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, and since then we’ve done a number of shows across Greece. In 2023, we reconnected with drummer and friend Stavros Rigos, who had played on the first two Tardive Dyskinesia albums, and we started jamming together on the tracks that would become “Fleshy Waves of Probability”. The connection between Tardive Dyskinesia and Calyces is quite strong, since I am the main composer in both bands, and now, with Stavros back, the bond is even stronger.
Why did you baptize the band “Calyces”?
When I started looking for a name for the band, I was going through the dictionary looking for something that would catch my attention. I came across the word “Calyces”, which comes from the ancient Greek κάλυξ (kályx), meaning “shell” or “pod”. It’s mainly used in botany to describe the outer part of flowers. I liked both its sound and meaning, and since no other band seemed to have that name, I kept it.
You have just released your sophomore album, “Fleshy Waves of Probability”. Which are your feelings about this new release?
“Fleshy Waves …” is an album we’re really proud of. We worked hard on every little detail, not to achieve some kind of technical perfection in performance or sound, but to transmit the feeling and rawness we were aiming for.
How much different is the new album compared to your debut album, “Impulse To Soar”?
I would say the biggest difference between the two albums—and I say this with no intention to downgrade “Impulse …”, which is also my child—is that “Fleshy Waves…” sounds more grounded, like it knows where it stands. It makes sense, really. We’ve played a lot since the first record, we’ve bonded more as a band, and things now come together more naturally.
How would you define the music style of Calyces?
Out of all the genre labels I’ve heard thrown around, I think “heavy prog” fits best. But honestly, I don’t like to box our music into a specific rock or metal subgenre, because that automatically limits the scope. I encourage people to just listen with their own ears. If they want to categorize it afterward, it’s totally fine with me.
If you should name the biggest influences of Calyces, which bands or artists would you mention?
Without hesitation: Mastodon, Rush, Tool, King Crimson, Intronaut, Gojira, and so on.
How is a song of Calyces usually composed?
It always starts with a riff that’s stuck in my head. I let it sit and mature a bit. Then I start searching for what comes next—maybe a verse, maybe something else—until it makes some kind of sense in my mind. Once it begins to take a more complete shape, I record it and start mumbling different melodies over it. When I feel it’s becoming something solid, I present it to the rest of the band and that’s when the real jamming begins.
Where do your lyrics refer to? Why did you name the new album with that title?
Our debut album, “Impulse to Soar”, depicted conception and the beginning of life. “Fleshy Waves of Probability” continues that journey. It explores the adaptation to a new world, and the infinite possibilities that lie ahead. It is a work about the ability to create without limits, without a predetermined plan—letting each moment guide you to the next. We begin with a blank canvas. A riff, an idea, a brushstroke. From there, the journey unfolds with endless possibilities. “Fleshy Waves of Probability” speaks to this absolute freedom, but also to the struggle to achieve it. Along the way, there are obstacles and hardships, oppression and fear, but also the deep yearning to rise, create, and find your own path.
Which is your favorite song off the new album and why?
It’s hard to pick one (and yes, that might sound cliché), but I truly see all of them as my children. That said, I would highlight “Lost in Phrase” because it holds special meaning for me. Not just lyrically, and not only because it might be the most unique song on the album, but also because the violin in the chorus is played by my 11-year-old daughter, Alexandra.
When and where was the album recorded, mixed and mastered? Which things did you pay attention to during the whole production?
The album was recorded at Ignite Music Studio in Athens, engineered by George Christoforidis, with whom we also did the production. He then handled the mixing, while George Bokos took care of the mastering at Grindhouse Studios. What we really focused on was maintaining a natural and organic sound. We wanted the dynamics of our playing to come through, but at the same time preserve the heaviness that characterizes our music. I think we managed that pretty well.
The cover artwork of the new album is impressive. Can you give us all the info about it?
Thank you! For us, creating an album is not just about music. It’s a holistic process where visual direction and artwork are equally important. Maria Stergiou, who does our covers, creates pieces that take 1-2 years to complete. These aren’t just graphics—they’re oil paintings on canvas, carefully crafted to visually express our ideas. The result is a living dialogue between music and image.
Which are your ambitions and goals for Calyces?
To release many albums and play as many live shows as possible.
You are now on tour. How is it going until now? How do you feel now that you are touring under the name of Calyces?
As we speak, we’re just coming back from Sofia, which was the final stop of a 10-day tour that started in Thessaloniki and passed through various cities in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Serbia. The feedback we got was beyond positive! As Calyces, we’re still a relatively new band—even though we’ve been playing for years with other projects—and I didn’t expect such a great response. This tour gave us a big boost of energy and I can’t wait to do it again soon.
How do you sound live in concert?
That’s something you’d probably have to ask the people who come see us!
Which three adjectives would you choose to describe Calyces?
Colorful, bipolar, dynamic.
If Calyces music and lyrics were a color, which one would they be and why?
Hmm… I would go with bold and bright shades of violet, magenta, purple, and similar tones.
What do you think about AI in music and art in general?
AI is a great tool, and nothing more than that. What I want to hear and see in art must have stories behind it. It has to carry pain. AI doesn’t have any of that.
If you could cooperate with a famous artist, who would he/she be and why?
I would say Devin Townsend. He is my musical hero.
Which is your motto in life?
“Have more than you show, speak less than you know”
Send your message to our readers!
Thank you so much for the support—see you on Sunday, July 13th at An Club with Their Methlab!
