Nightfall has established themselves as a band to watch. Their new (fourth) album "Lesbian Show" show a band who have matured well in the last years. Almost like a bottle of single malt whisky. Nightfall has established themselves as one of Europe’s best metal bands. "Lesbian Show" is simply an essential album in a true metalhead’s record collection. We caught up with vocalist & bassist Efthimis Karadimas for an interview through his e-mail address.
1. When and where was Nightfall started ?? Could you give us a brief biography ??
Back in the very beginning of the present decade we managed to "release" a self-financed demo tape; Vanity and its four tracks introduced us to the death-doom scene back at those days. A couple of months later (as far as I can remember) Holy Records (France) came in touch proposing us a two-album deal. Parade into Centuries CD/LP/MC followed a few months later. That was an album-monolith for the Greek scene actually as this release has been both a motive for the entire Greek scene and the only Greek release worldwide back then.
2. Please tell us more about the 7' ep, "Oh black queen oh you are mine".
Oh, it was nothing more than a promo single for our second release, Macabre Sunsets. It was pressed by a Greek label and I guess that apart from its collector value (it's quite rare as it is out of the market permanently) is kinda worthless nowadays.
3. You signed on Holy Records. How did you get in touch with them ?
The first contact took place via…mail (as usual back in the Days of the Underground, or not?). The special thing in that relationship is that Nightfall's first release was also Holy's one! There's nothing better I guess than observing a band and a label growing together over the years. Let's keep a touch a fucking romance in the business, should we ?
4. Please tell us more about your debut album "Parade into Centuries". The recording, the lyrics, the writing process and the featured tracks.
As far as I know both Parade into Centuries and Macabre Sunsets are sold out by now and plans for re-release them are pretty non-existent. Parade, as our debut, and due to the reasons I explained you before, has a sensitive value for us and for anybody else involved in the scene those days, than anything else. There's a tremendous progress between Nightfall then and now.
5. Please tell us more about your second album "Macabre Sunset". The recording, the lyrics, the writing process and the featured tracks.
With that album we gave a quite tough explanation to everybody concerning the -unorthodox- way Nightfall were using. Despite our "doomy" debut and the good response by doom-fans around, we produced an extreme follow up, exactly the way we felt! Some people didn't like us sounding so brutal, to say so. Yet, as time went by everybody understood that this band had its own unique way to make art, away from trends or genius market plans on how we could conquer the market…
6. Please tell us more about your second album "Athenian Echoes". The recording, the lyrics, the writing process and the featured tracks.
Athenian Echoes is for me a sort of combination between the two previous releases and the Nightfall-on-stage; we made a tour after the release of Macabre Sunsets and we realize that we should be more careful with the structures/arrangements of our songs, otherwise live performances would end up in a mess. Having 4 rhythm and 4 lead guitars playing different tunes in the studio cannot work on stage certainly.
7. Please tell us more about your mini album "Eons Aura". Why did you release this mini album ?
It was just after the end of Macabre Dance tour. We had composed a couple of tracks on the road and along with two covers we thought they could compose a pretty interesting release. Holy agreed and Eons Aura came out. As far as I know it is also sold out and probably not to be released again.
8. Your brilliant new album "Lesbian Show" was released some months ago. Please tell us more about this album. For example the recording, the lyrics, the writing process and the featured tracks.
It was the very first time we recorded abroad. We entered Tico-Tico studio in Finland and we produced an album which is a combination of really heavy guitars, performing not so much "heavy" tunes though. The whole production turned out great indeed. Lesbian Show is the best album for those who like to drown themselves into gothic ambiances yet they cannot stand the weak -usually- productions of such bands.
9. Why this fascination for lesbians ?
Maybe the fact that they do reject me, a man, is enough to turn me on?!… Anyway, the lyrics of Lesbian Show are strictly metaphorical, as in all Nightfall songs, whilst the title itself was being used (partly) in order to provoke the narrow minded ones in the scene who believe that "death" is all about dark forces and images and not psycho-pathological states of mind who lead one's mind malfunction.
10. How would you compare your many releases ?
Oh, I really cannot. After all is quite useless to do so as I know from the beginning I won't be objective !
11. It is my impression that the new Goth Music scene follow the same pattern as the Romantic New Wave scene did 20 years ago with bands like ABC, Duran Duran and Human League. The similarities are striking. The Romantic New Wave scene was a reaction to the Punk music; the new Goth Metal scene is a reaction to the Death Metal scene. What is your view ???
Very interesting approach indeed. I agree with you, partly though as I believe that the whole wave here is a reaction against the old-fashioned heavy metal style to say so. You know, using electronic equipment is a sort of taboo for a so called "metal" band. But for a "goth-metal" one is just a matter of … right decision I should say.
12. Following my last question; what would you call your music ??
Ah, I prefer to let you doing the speaking and us the sounds…
13. What is your relationship with the bands in the scene in Greece ? For example your label mates On Thorns I Lay and Septic Flesh.
So far so good I guess.
14. Are any members of Nightfall involved in other bands/projects ?
The cool thing for Nightfall is that we are wide open to any kind of experimentation, so there's no actual need of expressing our selves via a project.
15. You and SMI has started "Headbangers Against Childporno"; an initiative we fully support. Please tell us more about this initiative.
We are not against pornography at all, quite the opposite to say the truth. But, exposing young souls and mark them for their entire life is out of mind for us. I know that some people might not follow what we say here, but those who may have a child already know well what's all about.
16. What are your plans for the coming months and year ?? Any tour plans ??
We just came back from Germany where we recorded 16 new tracks with J. P. Genkel producing (known from his works with Therion and Cradle Of Filth). Holy will release 4 of them in a maxi CD single called ELECTRONEGATIVE within the next month, whilst we have to shot a video clip until January. For more info kindly visit our site
You are all welcome to send a personal item to be published in our Fanpage too.
17. Do you have a merchandise list ??? From what address can the band be contacted ?
People can purchase any thing from Holy records' address or its local distributors' retail stores. Additional info may be given through e-mail as well, from our site.
Nightfall
Efthimis Karadimas
PO Box 72055
16310 Ilioupolis
GREECE
Holy Records
4 BD Gutenberg
93190 Livry- Gargan
FRANCE