From the roster of Sleazy Rider Records of Greece, a total head banging, air guitar licking and air punching yeah in early death metal force! This interview is made & answered late July, 2005. Enjoy the read, contact & support! Hail!

Greetings Savva & to all of KINETIC! Tolis of SRR sent me a promo copy of your ".:THE ::CHAINS::THAT::BINDS::US:." Album and I'm been totally thrashed by it!!! An utterly great album for Thrasher & Early Death Metal Fangs!!! How did you like the outcome of this first album?

Hello to all! Yes, the CD "The Chains That Bind Us" is out since November/2004. Things are going very well, we really enjoy the way that the CD is moving. It was our first complete recording after our demo of course; we gave our 100% on anything in this recording. Fans had at least a good word to say about it, the press all over the world gave very good comments, something that makes us proud!!

For the general attack, who are the elements & their instruments of power that forge this energy to become a metal force to reckon with? when & how did the elements joined force to become KINETIC?

KINETIC is four persons. We were members in other acts of Greek underground. I had a band called ACID DEATH, maybe the only Progressive Death Metal band Greece had, Manolis Mammas and Stavros Bonikos, our guitarists, had a Power Metal band called BRAIN FADE and Costas Alexakis, our drummer had a Heavy Metal band called WISDOM. Being friends all the past years through the scene, we decided to join our forces to create a new and powerful band, avoiding all our mistakes of the past. So KINETIC was born in 2002.

What's the ultimate reason in forging KINETIC, I mean aren't all members have previous band commitments?

Yes, as I told you everyone from us had his own band. The difference was that everyone from us had his own band but in a different music genre than the other. But things worked really well behind us! How long have you've been playing & creating music, including the years prior to Kinetic?

We speak about a very long period. I am in the scene since 1989, Manolis and Stavros since 1988 and Costas since 1993. As you understand we have good experience in having a band, creating music and things like this.

Of all the metal genres, why the hell did you play your style of Power Thrashing Death Metal? Did you guys like talk this over or you know what you want at the beginning?

Our style is the result of all our influences that we bring into the new band. As you understood we came from different music paths. I came from Death Metal, Manolis and Stavros from Power Metal, Costas from Heavy/Progressive Metal...the result of all these was this mix of melody and aggression having influences from Thrash/Death/Power or even a little bit Industrial. We really like this mis, we believe that every Metal Fan can find interesting things in our music...

Who are the bands that you hold high in the genres of Power, Thrash & Death Metal; the ones who have influence you all the years? How about your contemporaries?

Mmmm...many, too many! I can mention hundreds of names from all the genres. Lets say some names, from past bands like POSSESSED, DEATH, SLAYER, BLIND GUARDIAN, HELLOWEEN, CARCASS, from today bands like ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES, FEAR FACTORY, or even MINISTRY.

Do you listen to other genres like Grind or BM? How about non-metal music? To you show indifference to metal heads who listen to non-metal music?

Yes, we like some, like NAPALM DEATH in their early days or MAYHEM and DIMMU BORGIR, but not many. From non-metal very little things, let say LOU REED or CURE. We believe that everyone has the "right" to listen to any kind of music he wants, so we don't have any problems with anyone who doesn't like these genres. Haha! Can you imagine? My wife is listening to Dance music, I don't have any problem, except if this happens all the day!!!

Would you call yourselves 'open-minded' when in comes to music? How open-minded can you be?

I dare say yes, we are open-minded. You know, music is feelings. The feelings vary to the people. I don't have the demand of heaving the same feelings with all the others but I want the others to give attention to my feelings and revere them as I try to do for other people!

You did release a demo/sampler before the album, are all the tracks in that demo included in the album?

Yes, they are included with newer versions. That was just a demo CD, although we rated it as "self-released miniCD" that was used for having the first contacts with the media and the fans. Things went really good those days...

How did you get signed with Sleaszy Rider Records? Did you send them the demo? How many albums are planned for KINETIC?

Tolis, SLEASZYRIDER`s owner listened to our demo. He knew us from our previous acts and he shoed his interesting on sign us. We sent our demo in many other labels, we had some offers from some but SLEASZYRIDER had the best offer for us that period. We planned about two Full Lengths, the one is out and now we have to make our plans for the second one.

You did have a tour supporting the album release, how was it? Can you tell us the highlights of it?

Yes, we made a Greek tour after loosing the opportunity to make a 15-days European tour with a known Black Metal band because of the bad tour-timing for us...Anyway, things worked well, although we were a rather new band for all the fans around. The highlight was on the live-show in Athens where we played as headliners and the fans did let us leave the stage till the club-owner turned-off the P.A. to save us. A really good experience for a band that has just one CD in its back...

Is this only in the whole Greece or did it overflow in the other European country? How many venues did you thrashed & who are the bands who joined you in these metal assaults?

As I told you we had an opportunity to make an European tour, better SLEASZYRIDER could arrange that for late March, but we couldn't take the necessary days off from our self-occupations to join the tour. That's the way we just made a Greek tour. We just played with local bands from the cities we were visited, bands like SARISSA, JUST ANOTHER REASON, X-PIRAL, and WASTEFALL. We expect to re-erect about the European tour, but things are not easy as KINETIC is a very small name for many people around who just wait to see our next movements...

First bands I know from Greece are the Hellenic Black Metal Hordes. How healthy is the metal scene there? Are there separations between genres or fans? Who are the bands from you country you can recommend for metal heads to check out?

You are right, Black Metal had very strong roots here in Greece in the past. Everyone remembers names like NECROMANTIA, VARATHRON, the huge ROTTING CHRIST... Things are going better day-by-day here in Greece but there are many problems. There are just few independent labels to support the bands, the promotion is poor because of the low budgets, the fans give low attention to the new bands so the new bands get disappointed easily. There is a lot of work to be done but at least we have some very good names that a Metal head deserve to have his eyes on. Let's say SARISSA, SHADDOWS DANCE, X-PIRAL, WEB, EMERALD and IN HEAVEN.

Thrash is a huge part of your music. Thrash is generally known as the drunk-metallers music. So are you into booze? Do most Greeks become violent when drunk? Do fights & misdemeanors occur on gigs?

Well, everyone wants some times to have some fun. So some beers or whiskey are very good "friends" those moments. We like to drink together with friends but not to get drunk, to make trouble or anything else. In fact I personally have almost stop drinking even a beer, I drank too much some years ago... Besides that, Metal fans here in Greece generally drink but they don't create any troubles and usually if someone is drunk and starts creating trouble his friends try to make him stop.

You also have some suspense-horror samplings, this are taken from films right? Are you into this kind of films? Which would you recommend?

Yes, there are some samplings but not from horror films. Our CD`s intro was created by a good friend of us, (damn! I was thinking if I've heard it from a fucking film..-roy) including some sounds from "Painkiller" game with the kind allowance of Dream Catcher Company. Generally we like this kind of films, personally I prefer the classic one like "Nightmare on Elm`s Street" or "Hellraser".

Some personal shit, what do you guys do in a 'normal' or 'ordinary' day? There's no much money in the underground, so I assume you all have jobs? Do you share the expenses for the band or someone usually pays the bill?

You hit a very good point this moment! Yes, there are no much money, better no money at all, in the underground, so we have to have our self-occupations for living. We are the band of computer Engineers! Me, Costas and Stavros are computer Engineers, Stavros is also sound Engineer in our recording studio and Manolis is working in a clothes company. The band always has expenses but we always share them! (where the hell did I read about this guy complaining about metal & underground being for bums & lazy thugs? I hope he reads this!!! and I think almost all u/g bands, small labels & zine kreator have jobs, part-time or full-time!! - roy)

Do you believe that we get good return to good deeds that we do? Do you feel life is treating you fairly?

Sometime no...Sometimes I really wonder if life wants to be right or just wants to bleed us... There were many times that I just received hate the same time I offered love...

Some says Metal is just Music, what can you say about it, is it just music to you? How much of your personal life is expressed and exposed to metal?

No, I don't agree on that! Metal is not just music. There is a philosophy behind it, there are many senses that aren't just Music. The philosophy of Freedom the spirit of youth that wants to fight for a better world, even the simple entertainment that a simple lyric in the way like "kill again" of course without the proper meaning of the message, are things beyond music. And this is the way that Metal and Rock generally differs from Pop or similar genres that just exist for the masses who want to have some good time and nothing more. Rock exhorts to questioning, offers entertainment, and gives a rather anti-conformist meaning for life, instead Pop that wants everything in absolute luxury. I dare say that life would be more different if there wasn't these strong feelings that Rock offers...

Ok, back on the album.. Of all the tracks in the album, why did you choose to do a video of "The Never Ending Winter"? How many days did you shoot it? You do have additional video clips on your site; will those be available in the next release?

"Never Ending Winter" is the song that includes all our influences in a very clear and strong way. That's the way we chose it for making our 1st video-clip. Recently we finished a second one for "Heed These Words" this time and it is available through the address http://download.4metal.net/download.php?file=4 Making a video-clip was a totally new experience for us. It was shoot in just one night in a friendly club here in Athens. John Tsigounakis, the friend that was filmed it made his best and I thing the result is at least dignified. I can't forget the four hours of headbanging during its shooting, or our embarrassment when we stood in front of cameras or even John's shouts when we started to laugh when something was going wrong... In "Heed These Words" things were more professional, it was filmed by John again but this time we had the experience and...at least we did what the scenario said without standing like jackasses!!!! Never Ending Winter video clip is included into the CD but Heed These Words is available through this address above. We have created a DVD, including band photos, biography and some other things and we will spread it all over the world for promotional use only.

Almost every album has a track of the same 'title', but yours don't have a 'title track', why is this so?

Aaaaa! You didn't gave enough attention to the CD-cover!!!! There is a title-track, separated in three songs! "The Chains That Bind Us" partI: Never Ending Winter, "The Chains That Bind Us" partII: Heed These Words", "The Chains That Bind Us" partIII: Last Call For Reaction. They are three songs under the CD title that describe a continius story. A person that lives in isolation, away from his own people, his last words when he dies and some thoughts about all the situation he lived. It is a small resume of the meaning of our lyrics in the CD....(Aaarrgghh!! he he he actually, my promo copy has no Cd cover or CD sleeve, just the CD in a plastic sheet, I've been listening to the CD for weeks never knowing the titles of the songs! I got the track titles from SRR's website only, when one weekend afternoon I felt like I can take the hellish heat of the middle eastern sun..-Roy)

'The Chains That Binds Us' could either mean 'break the chains (of slavery, of stereotypical, etc.)' or "here are the chains that shall keep us bonded into metal, and there's no fucking escape!" or is there other meaning that you want to put across?

And here we are in the resume!!! What are "Chains"? We describe as Chains all the emotions that a simple human feels in his life. Emotions about love, hate, fear...All these emotions are Chains that just "Bring Together" or just "tie" the humans. Everyone can choose between these meanings. We think that this cover with all these chains into the fire was a total blessing for this title!!!

How often do you read fanzines? Do you have a favourite one? Which do you prefer, the ones on the net or the printed ones?

It's a shame to tell you but usually I don`t have free time for reading zines. I usually travel in the Internet reading the online zines which I found very good till perfect sometimes. I have some favourite ones, BLEEDING FOR METAL from Germany (www.bleeding.de) written in German and English, we have also our official forum there, METAL PERSPECTIVE from Greece, written in English (www.metalperspective.com), ROCKING Portal (www.rocking.gr) written in Greek, the absolute guide in Greek Internet for Metal Music. The last printed zine I read before one month was a Greek one called BLOODCULT zine, including Death and Black Metal bands and many themes about Horror Films and books.

As Einstein would say it, energy never dies, it just changes form, and so, do you think KINETIC would change? Do you think change in every one of us is inevitable?

KINETIC is four people. A man always change, he has to change to become better, that's the circle of life! I expect KINETIC to be changed and become better day by day. If we see that it won`t become better day by day, we will leave them die. That's a promise. The change is the life. Everything changes except Death, that's the way we die.

Thanks for time & for the great music! As departing piece, tell us your plans, merchandise & how to get your stuff. Hail & More Power!!!

I want to thank you too for this presentation. Check KINETIC, guys, we won't disappoint you. You can visit our official web site at www.kinetic-band.gr there is a Merchandise section where you can order our CD and our t-shirts. We are waiting for your comments to our mail at kineticgr1@yahoo.gr Take care!