Diviner

Diviner is a newcomer form Greece, which consists of well-known musicians of the Greek scene. Moreover, the guys came up with a great debut album which mixes the classic heavy metal elements with a modern twist. Grande Rock had a chat with the band’s mastermind & vocalist Yannis Papanikolaou about Diviner and the Greek metal scene among other things…
Diviner band pic

Hi Yiannis. Diviner’s debut took us by surprise. It’s a really stunning album. Kudos!
 
Y: Hello my friend and a great “hail” to all readers! Thank you on behalf of the entire band for your kind remarks on “Fallen Empires”, it really means a lot to us to hear you say you found something appealing in it!
 
 
First of all, do give us a brief bio of the band.
 
Y: Sure! Diviner founded in the summer of 2011, when the inner urge to play a fresh approach of Heavy Metal loyal to its classic roots, became a priority, both to myself and to my lifelong friend and partner in music Thimios Krikos (guitar). The rest of the guys, George Maroulees (guitar), Herc Booze (bass) & Fragiskos Samoilis (drums) were soon added to the team, bringing in all their modern sound and ideas, and gladly it all “clicked”. After having done what we consider to be our very best, regarding this debut album, “Fallen Empires” was released a few months ago and thus begins the journey for Diviner!
 
 
How did you come up with the band’s name Diviner?
 
Y: Well, our band’s theme inspiration has a lot to do with spiritual adventures, battles of the mind, a great deal of symbolism and fiction but it all comes down to a man’s struggle towards the Great, the battles we all go through to reach for our dreams and a better self. All this need for self-evolution and winning over what’s sacred to oneself is to be considered as divine. In a sense, Diviner is the carrier of all that’s sacred and superior, the bringer of a higher state of mental consciousness. To link it all with “Fallen Empires” cover, we assume the boatman to be “Diviner” himself, the one to take you across all darkness, where all hidden treasures of the soul lie.
 
 
Diviner started out in 2011 and it took almost 4 years for you to release your debut. Why’s that? Did you have in mind to do things your way and come up with the best possible outcome?
 
Y: Well, it did take us quite a while to have “Fallen Empires” fully ready, but it was a very fulfilling and creative experience. There were no deadlines so we seized all opportunities we had to make sure we are as happy with the result as we could be. There was no rush whatsoever, and the fact that we had to come up with a way to combine heavy sound and classic origins to an up-to-date outcome, without sounding old-school, was something we extensively had to work on, regarding not only our compositions but also production. And yes, it was necessarily the best way but because Diviner’s concept is all about being personal. So we wanted everything about the album to depict where we stand for both as adorers of Heavy Metal, as well as players, today and be representative of us 100%.
 
 
Which are the “Fallen Empires”?
 
Y: I guess I must have given a small hint when I talked a bit about Diviner’s thematology… So “Fallen Empires” are the lost treasures in ourselves, all that’s pure and admirable in the human nature and we might have been deprived of it! “Fallen Empires” is the destination of our mind travels and wars, to regain what’s sacred and worth fighting for to us.
 
 
Give us a small hint about each track…
 
Y: “Fallen Empires”: All about Diviner’s concept.
“Kingdom Come”: There is a light at the end of the dark tunnel.
“Evilizer”: Good and Evil, wrong or right… Evilizer in your mind.
“Riders from the East”: The wise-men are coming to tell us about the end of the world.
“The Legend Goes On”: Prometheus’ legend.
“Come Into My Glory”: Pride, hope, glory.
“Seven Gates”: The dark side of ourselves.
“The Shadow and the Dark”: A brief “manifesto” against all those who have the power to rule.
“Sacred War”: The war inside us.
“Out in the Abyss”: Our journey beyond space-time, universe, life and death.
 
 
The album was produced, engineered and mixed by Thimios Krikos (guitars) but you also worked in the production part. Was it better to do things on your own & your way? Did you achieve the production that you had in mind in the first place?
 
Y: Working on the production of the album was definitely a long and exhausting but rewarding experience. Like I’ve said, it was very important that we wouldn’t compromise with anything less than the best we could do for our songs. The sound had to bring out the heavy metal aggressiveness Diviner’s all about but also the modern riffing, solid vocals and reach the productive standards a listener’s is used to nowadays. I’m sure we would in no ways attempt to place such heavy burden upon us, had it not been for Thimios’ great experience and intelligence on the field. This combined with the fact that we felt no time rush and had a world of patience, rewarded us with having, at least, created our original sound in a production that compliments what Diviner is all about. Could there be room for improvement or could someone else have done it better? Maybe so. But it’s a great satisfaction and pride to watch your own creation get shaped from point zero to final outcome, not to mention that we learned a lot that will be valuable for the future albums of Diviner.
 
 
The album’s mastering was done by Peter In de Betou (Arch Enemy, Opeth, Amon Amarth). How did you decide to cooperate with Peter? Did you talk with any other sound engineers before Peter?
 
Y: Well, we are rather quick about making decisions, so when something feels right we don’t overthink it: Being huge fans of Peter In de Betou’s work for years, we figured his awesome approach would fit the sound we had in mind for mastering “Fallen Empires”, so we contacted him and were honored to receive a positive response. Truth is, he was our number one choice and first contact regarding the mastering, so of course, we hit target at once and rested assured that we could receive a great result.
 
 
How did the cooperation with Ulterium Records occur? Did you have any offers prior to the Ulterium one? Would you sign to any Greek label if they offered more than any other labels from abroad?
 
Y: We were familiar with Ulterium Records, due to the label’ excellent cooperation with Innerwish. Soon as we had the album ready, we sent over our work and were grateful to receive a most respectful offer by Ulterium, an offer we had no reason to refuse. And that ended Diviner’s search for a record label. Had we not been offered such an honest deal from such a trustworthy label, we would have kept on looking to try and do the best for Diviner. Let me say that over the past years with all crisis in music industry, we feel that the walls of discrimination have been torn down and so it wouldn’t have made such a huge difference, to sign up with a foreign or a local name. I think we would focus on the deal itself and, most importantly, on whether we have to do with a well-respected and legitimate partner, a label that would have faith in our music and the will to show it.
 
 
The first thing you notice when you play the album is that it doesn’t have that “specific Greek sound” that most Greek heavy metal albums have and it’s a bit of a curse for the Greek scene.
 
Y: Thank you my friend for saying this! I know exactly what you mean and we will gladly take this compliment, but to be honest, I have to say that this has not been the case for most of the bands in the Greek scene for a few years now. I did grow up in a decade when we would not even dream of approaching any European, or, even worse, American standard in terms of production or professionalism. This drawback went on and on for somewhat two decades but I think that over the past years the Greek scene has managed to overcome many obstacles and present a great deal of music samples able to fairly work their way into the global scene. I’m a big fan myself and it amazes me greatly to discover new bands or see a group perform live and “envy” their amazing skill, “know-how” and technical superiority, despite their young age. We have waited a long time for this, but I guess we can say it is not a curse to be a metal band coming from Greece anymore. Of course many of Greece’s “prides” have contributed to that. But except from the classics, Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh, Firewind and Night Stalker, also a lot of younger metallers have done a great difference. So many come to mind… I will, over the top of my head, mention Planet Of Zeus, Suicidal Angels and Maplerun.
 
 
How would you describe the album’s sound to someone that hasn’t heard you before?
 
Y: Simply, heavy-riffing modern heavy metal. But sound speaks louder than words, so I’d rather just play “Fallen Empires” for them and let them decide!
 
 
Diviner has two current Innerwish members and a former one (you) on its ranks. Did you talk with Thimios about the possibility to return to Innerwish, or you had in mind to form a brand new band no matter what?
 
Y: I must say that my personal bonds with Innerwish are eternal and unbreakable. Having formed Innerwish together with Thimios back in 1995, my whole life is marked with wonderful moments and melodies of the band’s music. I’m still today, a proud fan of Innerwish, and apart from common members Thimios and Frankie, I am bound with deepest feelings and brotherhood and friendship with all the rest members. I admire them for everything they keep accomplishing and honestly feel that Innerwish are now in their best era. There has never been such a conversation between Thimios and me and the idea of returning to Innerwish was never in our plans. My musical quests had been very specific for over some years now, and they all revolved around the concept of Diviner, to somehow bring the best of the authentic Heavy Metal to the present. I am more than lucky to be able to share this need with loving friends like Thimios, Frankie, Herc and George who joined this new dream.
 
 
Have you booked any live shows for the near future?
 
Y: Oh yes! Ulterium and Diviner are working very closely at the time to prepare what we hope to be a schedule full of live energy! I couldn’t announce any specific dates yet, since the entire schedule is under construction, but I can refer to right next upcoming appearance of Diviner, taking place on February 21st in Athens. We believe it’s very important to develop a sense of trust between Diviner and all who listen to our music and thus, we will try to get up on stage as much as possible and first do so by honoring our homeland for the awesome feedback it has given us ever since our album came out. I also hope we will soon be able to announce more dates for European, loud Heavy Metal gatherings! \m/
 
 
What does Diviner mean to you and what do you wish to achieve in long term?
 
Y: I guess it is more than obvious throughout this entire discussion that Diviner are very dear to me. I put my any skills but also my mind and heart to it; I have seen my personal dreams and agonies manifest into songs and I feel I am doing something that totally characterizes my presence as a singer, lyricist and composer today. I know that the entire Diviner team shares same feelings of devotion towards this new adventure of ours. Regarding now what we wish to achive... I deeply wish we stay true to ourselves and keep creating our music with dignity and respect. It would be a lie not to say we wish our music appeals to the heavy metal world but this is a far abstract goal. All we can do is play our heart out and kindly serve the Gods of Heavy Metal!
 
 
Do you plan to release another solo work in the future? Will it be in Greek again or not?
 
Y: I don’t have such plans in my mind... my dream to create Diviner had grown very naturally, after years of experimenting in various musical fields. This experimentation has seized my any thirst to put myself in all sorts of different music paths, and as my ever true worship of Heavy Metal was never questioned inside me, after years of brain-storming I can finally put all my passion and energy to Diviner. Of course, I could never know what the future holds or what new untraveled ways my mind might seek years from now, but I can definitely say that for the time being I am 100% devoted to Diviner.
 
Diviner band pic
 
Time for our “weird questions”!!! Do you believe that the Greek Metal scene can break its own barriers and become more popular, trustworthy & successful abroad like the Italian one, let’s say? What does it take to do so?
 
Y: Perhaps I have covered this already, I am more than convinced that the Greek metal scene has already broken its barriers and it is in no way inferior to other European bands of the kind. If the Greek metal bands do lack something, it probably is financial support and promotion. It is remarkable that so many bands with Greek origins manage to do so well, in terms of the way they present and master their music, given the rough times Greece has been going through for over 6 years now. Like I said, I see enormous amounts of talent breaking through the Greek scene and I’m most certain we’ll see a lot of amazing bands and artists flourish within the next years.
 
 
Which are the basic drawbacks that have held the Greek Metal scene back all these years, according to you?
 
Y: It almost feels I’m guessing the question to follow...hahaha. I just discussed how I think the zero support and the lack of promotion have made things very difficult for a band crowding in the metal scene. Even one decade ago, I could say the scene more or less still lacked the mentality and technical skills in production to present an outcome professional enough to break the boarders. Thankfully, even at darker times for the Greek scene, there had been heroic efforts of glorious personalities and artists, such as Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ who, with zero support and budget, conquered the entire Heavy Metal Globe, be it “underground” if you call it or not. It is however evident those times have changed and Greek metallers can rely on themselves to come up with a respectful achievement, one that respects all the current requirements of a modern sound. After all, we hope Diviner is such an example.
 
 
Which is the most underrated Greek metal band of all time?
 
Y: Ι don’t really believe there are underrated bands... everyone takes what he deserves and every band goes where they aim at. The point is to make good and honest music no matter how big you become or not!
 
 
What are those things that you do not like in the music industry nowadays?
 
Y: I don’t really like music becoming industry in any way but I have to live with that... hahaha!
 
 
Which are the best 3 heavy metal albums of all time according to you?
 
Y: 1. Iron Maiden – “The Number of the Beast”…
2. Metallica – “Master of Puppets”…
3.Judas Priest – “Painkiller”…
 
 
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
 
Y: I’d choose “Somewhere in Time” by Iron Maiden! I like so much the “futuristic” concept about history, space and time, the whole atmosphere, the perfect harmonies, the lyrics, the songs, the production, the artwork and the band’s awesome performances! Everything about this album is stunning!
 
 
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
 
Y: I believe I’d hand them of over Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and hope their extra-terrestrial intelligence would be pure and innocent enough to appreciate it.
 
 
Fill in the phrase… “Heavy metal wouldn’t have evolved the way it did, if it hadn’t been for…”
 
Y: Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio!
 
 
Put together the best metal line-up of all time. Who plays what?
 
Y: It’s so easy to decide… Bruce Dickinson on vocals, Dave Murray on guitar, Adrian Smith on guitar, Steve Harris on bass and Nicko Mc Brain on drums…
 
 
What’s the worst thing you can say right after sex?
 
Y: “I’m sorry, you said your name is...???”
 
 
Who is the sexiest female Rock Star of all time?
 
Y: Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil.
 
 
Which character from the “Game of Thrones” would you have been – if you lived in the Seven Kingdoms?
 
Y: I’m sorry, I really can’t remember anyone. It’s been quite a while since I stopped watching it.
 
 
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you reckon is the one, that’s more likely to send you straight to Hell, in the afterlife?
 
Y: I don’t know… I like them equally! (hahaha)
 
 
Imagine that your girlfriend is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
 
Y: She would be my girlfriend because, among other reasons, she would never sell my album collection to get herself a ring! More likely she would sell a ring to buy me an album collection.
 
 
Thanx for taking the time to do this interview Yiannis. Wish you the best with Diviner in the future. Any last words? Take care dude…
 
Y: The pleasure is all mine, my friend! Thank you for offering Diviner this chance for discussion and thank you and all the readers for your time and patience! To all friends of Diviner out there, we hail you all and look forward to meeting up with you on the road! \m/

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