Formed in 2020 in Athens, Greece, Toxic Pub turned lockdown days into a launchpad for heavy riffs and bold ideas. Rooted in thrash yet unafraid to experiment, the Greek trio crafted their debut “To Not Die Blind“ with pure DIY spirit. Fierce on stage and restless in the studio, Toxic Pub are here to shake up the metal underground and Myth of Rock, shocked by the band’s extreme metal sound, grills the members of the band!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
How did Toxic Pub first come together back in 2020?
Back in 2020, George and Stef had split with their first drummer and were looking for people to play music with. As fate would have it, at a random party, a conversation arose with two peculiar individuals—Mitsos and Adri, a bassist and a drummer—who were also searching for new bandmates after parting ways with their first band. It was love at first band practice, and the rest is history.
Why the name Toxic Pub? Does it have a story or symbolism behind it?
We wanted the band name to represent something we could build—like a community. There were other ideas thrown around, but Toxic Pub perfectly describes the character of the band.
How would you describe the band’s sound in your own words, beyond labels like thrash metal or groove metal?
Thrash metal is our roots—it’s what we grew up with, and at this point, it’s burned into our DNA. But from the beginning, we didn’t want to limit ourselves, and we rarely use labels to define our music.
We want our music to be fun, rewarding for the listener, and to never become boring, so we try to avoid filler or repetitive material. We also pay great attention to detail, and to contrast the music, we often use dark and bold lyrical themes for those who like to dig a little deeper.
Did you set out with a clear musical direction from the start, or did your sound evolve naturally through rehearsals?
We had very clear intentions from the formation of the band. We wanted to write original material and play as many live shows as possible. As for our sound—naturally—it took years of experimenting and crafting something personal that now makes us say, “Yeah, that sounds like Toxic Pub.”
Which artists or albums made you pick up your instruments in the first place?
For all of us, the American scene—especially bands like The Big Four, Pantera, and Sepultura—played a huge role in our formative years. Without them, we might not have even picked up our instruments in the first place.
What does the title “To Not Die Blind” mean to you?
The album title didn’t come early in the writing process. Originally, the album was going to be named after another song on the record, ‘Stoned to Death”. The phrase comes from the full line, “There is still time to not die blind,” which essentially means accepting your own mortality and using it to gain inner strength—abusing all the time each of us has in this world as best as we can.
Which song from the album do you feel represents Toxic Pub the best, and why?
It’s very hard to choose one song, as we paid great attention to creating variety in the record. Each track represents a different side of us and contributes to our sound. We feel the best way to enjoy the record is from start to finish, since it’s a single, coherent work.
“Still Unformed” closes with a piano outro — something unexpected in extreme metal. How did that idea come about?
We’ve always been open to using sounds that aren’t traditional in metal. On this record, we actively tried to bring in some of our Pink Floyd influences and more so in another song that ended up getting cut. The piano outro came about one night at 3 a.m., while we were finishing up production. Mitsos, our drummer, went into the other room and started playing the guitar’s solo melody on a piano we had at hand. We ended up going home at 8 a.m. that day.
You took over the production and mixing of the record yourselves. Was that more challenging or liberating?
It definitely added a big layer of difficulty to the whole process. There was a tedious amount of trial and error, but we had the freedom to experiment endlessly without any time pressure.
Did the long 12-month recording/production process ever test your patience, or was it part of your vision from the beginning?
Once the opportunity arose to do the whole production ourselves, there was no looking back. Having complete control over 100% of the process was a dream come true. Of course, there were many obstacles, and we had to redo some parts from scratch—mainly due to lack of experience—but we always agreed it would take as long as it needed to be released exactly as we had envisioned.
Looking back now, is there anything you’d change about “To Not Die Blind”, or are you completely satisfied?
Looking back, there are some things we might do differently today, but we’re completely satisfied with the outcome and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s a representation of who we were at that time—the cumulative result of specific circumstances that we couldn’t recreate even if we tried.
What lyrical themes dominate the album? Personal struggles, social commentary, or something else?
The lyrics are always inspired by things that fascinate us—whether personal struggles, philosophical ideas, or even books and movies. It definitely has a very dark and cynical tone, which at this point has become part of our sound.
How was the experience of headlining Schoolwave 2023?
At the time, it was our biggest show yet and our first time performing on a big stage with screens, cameras, and actual space to run around. The crowd was more than welcoming, and it gave us even more fuel and inspiration to move forward.
How do you sound live? Describe a live show of yours!
It’s very simple—live, we try to do everything we do on record, but on steroids. We want to be fun, fast, and keep the audience engaged at all times. We want to make the crowd feel alive, and we always try to prepare surprises for our fans.
Do you feel the Greek metal scene gives enough opportunities to younger bands like Toxic Pub?
The Greek metal scene has seen a resurgence in recent years, with more and more young people getting into the genre. Like in most art forms—even with modern tools at our disposal—it’s still hard for bands to get noticed in such a saturated industry. That said, we believe that honest, carefully crafted work always finds a way to make people stop and listen.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown affect you as musicians and as a band?
We actually started the band when the first quarantine hit, so it didn’t affect us all that much. On the contrary, we used that time to experiment and prepare ourselves for when things got back to normal.
Do you already have ideas for your next album or are you still focused on pushing “To Not Die Blind” further?
Because the first record took so long to get released—and most of the songs had been written for quite a while—our sound and musicianship had already matured. We were very eager to write new material. Now, most of the second record is already composed, and we plan to hit the studio soon. This time, it won’t take another 12 months.
Where do you see Toxic Pub in the next five years?
In five years, we hope some things stay the same while others evolve. We want to have the same (if not more) freedom and time for music, but we also want to grow even further as a band. We can’t wait to perform in other countries and share the new material we’ve been quietly working on.
At the end of the day, what’s the ultimate goal of Toxic Pub—global recognition, musical evolution, or just making honest music for yourselves and your fans?
It’s definitely a combination of different things rather than a single, clear goal. Success is important because it gives you opportunities to share your work with more people—but it’s not the reason we do this. Toxic Pub is the result of our love for metal, live shows and recording, but also a way to connect with others who share that love.
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