Symphonity return with the “Beyond Olympus” EP, a release that brings together one brand-new track and five powerful live recordings captured in Athens, Greece. It’s a small but meaningful chapter in the band’s journey—a snapshot of where they stand today and where they’re heading next. Fans of power metal enriched with symphonic touches, neoclassical flair and progressive twists will find plenty to enjoy here, because Symphonity remain one of the most skilled and passionate bands of their kind. For all these reasons Myth of Rock decided to dive deep into the story of these Czechs and talked with Libor Krivak (guitars) – right below you can read what was discussed. Enjoy the conversation!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
live band photo by Christof Filis
How did the idea for the “Beyond Olympus” EP first come up, and what made you choose this specific moment to release it? Which are your feelings now that the EP is going to be released?
During rehearsals for the upcoming spring tour with Tarja and Marco, we decided to record some new material with this special tour line-up. However, before our departure, we only had time to record the drums and keyboards for one brand new song. After we returned from the tour, we recorded the missing guitar, bass, and vocal tracks.
In the meantime, we listened to the recordings from the tour and discovered that the one from Gagarin 205 was not bad at all. That’s how the idea was born to release an EP featuring one new song and the complete, unedited recording of the Athens show. Our fans can enjoy an authentic record of the evening, with all its energy and all the mistakes we made.
For me personally, this is a release without any stress. With a normal full-length album, there would be much more to worry about.
Give us all the info about the new song, “Out and About” (music, lyrics by Tommy König, recordings, production)!
Musically, it’s a kind of return to our debut album, “Voice from the Silence”, as it’s more power metal with progressive elements. Maybe it’s because Martin has returned to the band for this tour, but we felt the need to create something that would be in the spirit of that first album—a return to the roots. I think this is what many of our fans want from us.
We haven’t completely abandoned orchestration, but unlike our last studio album, Marco Polo, which was very symphonic, this is more straightforward European power/speed metal with neoclassical guitars and progressive passages. Also, the lyrics are very different from the Marco Polo concept. This is the first time we’ve decided to tackle a very light-hearted topic. This song is just for our fans and is about a band on tour.
The mix and mastering were done by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio in San Marino, Italy.
How did the reunion with Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka (drums) actually happen, and what was it like working together again after all these years?
It’s not like we haven’t seen each other for a few years. Martin and I are still friends, and we live in the same city, so we would meet at birthday parties, Christmas parties, and so on. We were in contact all the time, but because he tours with Cradle of Filth for most of the year, we haven’t had the chance to play together again.
Then, with the offer to join the tour supporting Tarja, the opportunity finally arose. Martin is without a doubt one of the best metal drummers on the scene, and playing and recording with him is always an incredible experience. In addition, we also rehearsed songs from the first album, like “Salvation Dance” that we hadn’t played live for a very long time.
The live recordings come from your Athens show. What made that night so special that you decided to capture it for an official release?
Basically, every time we record on tour, the best takes are from the last few shows, and the Athens show was the penultimate one 😉 After that, there was just the show in Istanbul, but we had a lot of problems there due to delays at the border.
There are also often technical issues, like wireless microphone dropouts, but in Athens, everything went well—just a bit of feedback in the sound. So, we decided to use that evening’s recording for the EP. And the fans were amazing that night, too.
A few fans with Czech roots were there, and I remember that before our show, they chanted in our language, “Czechs, go for it!” like at an ice hockey game. It was a great night overall…
How challenging is it for you to translate the complexity of your studio arrangements into a live setting?
I’m not a big fan of using backing tracks or playbacks at all. When we released our first album, “Voice From The Silence”, our keyboard player was able to play almost all the keyboard parts live. But with the Marco Polo album, the orchestrations became very massive, so we started using some backing tracks.
Additionally, after the UK tour, our last keyboard player, Johannes, left the band, so at the moment we are playing without live keyboards altogether. I’m not very happy with that, but these days a lot of bands are playing like this. Still, I hope we will find a new keyboard player in the near future.
The EP’s artwork and booklet look great. What was the vision behind the visual concept and how closely do you work with Lenka Čechová?
I’ve always loved it when a cover artwork catches your eye in a music store, and you just know it must be a power metal album. I think that since at least the King of Persia album, we’ve managed to create consistently attractive cover art.
Lenka had already helped us with our last live album, “Marco Polo: Live in Europe”, but this time we experimented with some modern technologies to create the final cover—and I think the result turned out quite well. I understand that some people prefer hand-drawn art, others prefer CG-rendered graphics, and now there’s this new possibility with AI.
You’ve gone through various lineup changes over the years. What keeps Symphonity’s identity so consistent through all these transitions?
Line-up changes are a popular question. We would really prefer to have a stable line-up, but at the moment, we only have a stable core consisting of Tom and myself. Despite all the lineup changes, we’ve essentially always had the same core team writing the songs since the first album, so a certain continuity is guaranteed.
I think the biggest issue for fans is always a change of the singer / frontman. To this day, we still hear people asking, “Where is Olaf?” But that is a problem for many bands that have replaced their male or female vocalist.
“Beyond Olympus” bridges the gap until the next full album. How far along are you with the new material? If you have written new songs, how do they sound?
At the moment, I don’t have many finished songs yet. However, there is a clear tendency to return to a more classic power metal sound. This is in contrast to our last studio album, Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack, where we gave a lot of space to orchestrations and symphonic arrangements. But it is still too early to say which direction the new album will ultimately take.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from touring across Europe in recent years?
Because for me, it’s very important to have a genuine friendship between the members, and touring is a great way to test human nature. We are together almost constantly every day on tour, and if the mood is good, the shows are much better. This is true even when there is some tension between members.
After years when Symphonity was more of a project than a real band, we are now touring quite often. We have done three European tours and one in the UK and Ireland, and now we know each other very well.
How important is fan interaction to you during live shows, and how do you try to keep that connection strong?
Yes, it is very important. It is much easiest to play song when reactions of the audience is warm. Sometimes are people listening very carefully and on the end are applauding very loud but for the musicians is much better if people are reacting during the songs too. The biggest part of the work with fans is logically on the singers arms.
If you had to describe the current lineup in one word, what would it be and why?
I have no idea…
Do you feel that the European power metal scene is going through a new creative wave, and where do you see Symphonity fitting into that?
Nowadays, there are too many bands playing with masks and other gimmicks. Sometimes I’m afraid that people care more about the show, the image, and the makeup than about the music itself. But I hope there are still fans out there who care about the music.
What would you like listeners to feel after experiencing “Beyond Olympus” from start to finish?
To experience the atmosphere of one night at Club Gagarin 205 in Athens—where the dream of these Czech boys came true.
If you had the chance to collaborate with another well-known musician, whom would you choose and why?
I was lucky enough to have already collaborated with excellent musicians within the band. So, no specific name actually comes to my mind.
Send your message to the fans!
We thank all the Greek fans for the warm welcome both in Thessaloniki and in Athens, and I believe we will return to your country soon again. Support the bands, go to concerts, and stay metal!
