Aherusia

In the long line of my quest to present hellenic bands that really deserve your attention, there is no need to justify my decision for picking up Aherusia. Their debut album was a great success, proving that there is still room for modern hellenic black metal bands, as it showcased their talent into shaping a uniquely strong, imaginative sound. So,by all means now is the perfect time for a conversation with their frontman, Voreas Faethon. I trully hope that you'll enjoy this one-I,sure as hell, did!

Greetings Voreas! Please give us a small insight on Aherusia's formation: goals, visions, wishes and everything else we need to know on this subject.
Well AHERUSIA, is a folk black metal band. We choose to express ourselves by using strong elements of Hellenic traditional music in order to describe our artistic vision more properly and in a more original way. We hope that one day everyone will start to feel that embracing the past and the principles that lie in tradition is, sometimes, the better way to get these things evaluated.

As far as it concerns our goals, we hope that one day the music acts of AHERUSIA will be listened to, by a greater audience. We hope that one day we would be given the opportunity to be distributed better and have the chance to tour around the world.

Your lyrics seem to draw a great deal of inspiration derived from ancient Hellenic themes. Do you somehow feel connected to this archetype of ancient wisdom/culture?
Our major lyrical orientation is about occultism, inner philosophy and the relationship among human and divine. We generally like to create albums that are bound in a form of a concept. So in “And The Tides Shall Reveal The Traces”, we are narrating the stories of some heroes who – for various reasons, needs, bonds and purposes – demanded to acquire powers that exceed the limits that they have as existences in the universal equilibrium. Their passions are described through the prism of the tragic dialectic of ancient Hellenic drama. So I could say that Hellenic Mythology or History is something that not only stands as a field of influence, but shapes also the way that we express ourselves. I should be more honest with you saying that everything that is somehow connected with the acts of human thinking and with the eternal quest for knowledge is something which inspires us…

Sonically speaking, you tend to differ from the usual black metal band. In what ways do you prefer to achieve this result? Do you sense that experimentation is vital to Aherusia's progress?
Surely experimentation is one of our primary goals. We do not experiment though just in order to be said that we are doing so. We just do not have any fear to use anything that could evolve our music in a way that  fits our standards of expression.

I can not say that we are aiming to differ though. We just want to express what we sense, what we feel. We just want to use paths that are compatible to our beliefs and spiritual needs.

A factor that would certainly surprise some listeners concerning your compositions, is the often use of Cretan lyra. How did you decide to pursue such a direction? Do you intend to enrich your songs a bit more, by adding more traditional instruments to your sound arsenal?
I was always attracted by the primordial magic that emerged throughout our traditional music. One more reason, was it’s rhythmical and melodical richness.Furthermore, the members of AHERUSIA had an expert on this specific kind of music. But the main reason was our intention to use the material of our own cultural tank: I have always believed in the background of traditional music, the sentimental weight that creates in the heart of the listener, the power of its psychodynamic properties. I wanted to obtain something original, but also something that bases its strength in the depth of centuries.Finally it is important to mention that although our music is something that surprises our listeners in a positive way, I could not say that someone fell strange when listening to our songs... Perhaps that happens because Traditional Hellenic Music  in my opinion perfectly  fits with Black Metal. Traditional Hellenic Music is the music that clad our ancient epic poems, our ancient drama and our ancestral rituals. This music beared our grandparents’ songs of lament, love, war, freedom and exile.I hope that one day we'll use more traditional instruments in our music, we  have some ideas for our third album. Nothing is decided yet, you'll just have to wait.

Vocals are obviously a very dominant factor to your musical output. Since you handle almost all of them, I’d like to ask on whom would you consider as your greatest influence as a vocalist. Also, would you ever consider to abandon completely all screams and growls, in favour of a "cleaner" singing approach?
Well since I am not only a black metal frontman I will say that my role models in singing were Ronnie James Dio and Carl McCoy. I don’t have anyone black metal frontman to inspire me though. Although we already use some clean singing parts in our music, I would never leave the screams in AHERUSIA. AHERUSIA will always be a black metal band!!!

Your debut full length album, «And the Tides Shall Reveal The Traces», has undoubtedly received some great reviews, so far. Are you satisfied by it as a whole? Looking back to it, is there anything that you'd changed, provided that you had the chance?
Although this album is not expressing my present musical approach, I wouldn’t change anything. “And The Tides Shall Reveal The Traces” is a part of my life, an album that sold many copies, our first step in discography. We gave our best to create it, and we love it as a part of ours since it contains a portion of our psyche.

It has been some time since your last release. Could you inform us on your future plans, if any? Should we expect a new Aherusia album soon? Or otherwise?
 Our new album entitled “As I Cross The Seas Of My Soul” is already complete. We search for a new label, since our past label was at least lame. After the release we will go on tour, of course, raiding Balkan Peninsula. We hope to also play in Europe as well.

Now, I’d like to ask you on the process of composing your tunes. Describe us, if possible, your typical procedure when writing songs: What comes first, really? Music or lyrics?
Usually I write music firstly, the lyrics follow next. I don’t have any specific procedure when I am writing a song. I simply work on the tunes that echo in my mind. It is something which never bothered me. But I must admit that every song takes months or years to end up in its final  form.

The Hellenic underground scene has showcased some great bands in the recent past. Should you have to recommend us some local bands, who would they be? Do you feel connected to any other bands/artists coming out of Hellas?
 Industry Of Nightmares, Netheserial, Aenaon are the bands that I like the most in our scene. I like Necromantia and Rotting Christ very much but I don’t thing that we are attached to them.

Recently I watched a video clip of one of your tracks, "Lux Occulta". My opinion is that the result was excellent, really. Could you give us some more information about this clip? Do you feel that the video compliments your song, in a way?
Thank you for your kind words. The video surely compliments the song. I must tell you that AHERUSIA, is a band strongly involved with Video Art. This clip was the step for us to create an entire video art movie, based on the concept of our debut. Its story is based on the quest that makes a hero through the paths of love and death, through the path of sacrifice. This clip is strongly influenced on the platonic tales of the “Cave” and of the voyage of “Ire” in the underworld. This clip though was created with very poor means.I hope that our new work will be supported better.

Having been around for some years, you have performed on stage quite a few times. How would you describe a concert of yours to someone who has never attended one? Are there plans for more gigs in the near future?
We played just for our debut 81 shows (the 70 of them as headliners), so I couldn’t say that we don’t play many shows. Beside our “classic” metal face, where we interpret on stage the band’s material and try to give all our energy and soul to the audience, the band gives at request and under conditions, some more special musical performances where the concept of our album is treated in it’s  whole, while we show a video art film created exclusively for this purpose by the band. Finally dark poetry passages inserted between songs,accompanied by dark orchestrations.So far the people who attended this performance, expressed themselves in a positive and enthusiastic manner. We want to become one with our audience. So whoever comes in our live shows,he can be assured that he will bewell entertained by watching us in action... when we release our second album,we will be on tour again.

Judging by your photos, I would dare to say that there is a strong theatrical view on the way that you present yourselves. Do you agree that this theatrical aspect plays an important role to Aherusia's presentation?
Definitely,the theatrical aspect plays an important role to our image. It helps as to express our tales better. It gives us the handles to elevate ourselves in higher levels of ecstasy. It makes us to get easily involved in the true performance of our concept.

Upon last note, I want to ask you on your band's name: how did you decided to adapt this moniker? What meanings or even symbolisms does it contain, to you personally?
ΑΧΕΡΟΥΣΙΑ is the name of the lake of Underworld according to the  ancient Hellenic mythology. We chose this name and our band names from our own heritage and culture rather than others (eg Vikings, Satanism), just to be more honest to ourselves.Eptagram, now is an ancient symbol of mathematical, astronomical, alchemistic, and musical kind. Representing the seven musical notes, using a schematic to find the 5th intervals, corresponding to seven (according to ancient Hellenic astronomy) planets, being an ancient symbol of war, eptagram, represents the symbolism of pain and sacrifice and is among other symbols the representation of the completeness and the Whole, as shown by the union of perfect numbers: 3 (Sky) and 4 (Earth).The double-headed eagle, considered to be another form of representation of eptagram and vice versa. Since the years of ancient Mesopotamian cultures or by the use of the mysticism and affixed to imperial Insignias, double-headed eagle, symbolizes the completeness, the pain and sacrifice, androgen bipolarity, the enhancement of prima materia and many more.

We have reached the end! Last hails are yours..
Fear not! For the shores of Elysium lies behind this chalice of torture…HORNS UP!!! (Π.Μ.Α.Ν.Σ.Α).

Isabelle S.