What are your names?
Manthos Stergiou: Guitars & Vocals
Giannis Golfis: Guitar
Stelios Tragos: Bass
Alexis Stavropoulos: Drums
What is the band’s name?
Calyces
How did you come up with the band’s name?
Calyces is the protective layer around a flower in bud. To be honest, there’s no particular reason we chose that name except that it sounded good to our ears and according to google search, there is no other band with that name.
What is your genre of music?
I would say Metal in general, but it probably won’t make much sense with so many different types of this genre. So prog metal, prog rock, progressive stoner, groove metal, sludge prog, post metal ect. are some of the genres we often hear people saying about our music and we are totally ok with that.
Give us a little bio about you.
Calyces started at the end of 2017, when Tardive Dyskinesia (my ex band) was put in ice. I gathered all the ideas and riffs I had and then I approached my friends and great musicians, Alexis Stavropoulos (Drums), Giannis Golfis (Guitar) & Stelios Tragos (Bass). They listened to the material and they were on board immediately. We rehearsed a lot and after our first and last gig we played with “Tesseract” , we got into the studio to record our debut album Impulse to Soar. That’s the short story.
What made you go in to music?
I Don’ know.. Difficult childhood years maybe. Or not.
Are you a signed?
No
You released your album ‘Impulse To Soar’, tell us more about the album.
“Impulse to Soar” Is our first effort as a band, but not as individuals. Consists of 11 tracks that represent what we like to hear and play. The album has been released in October 16th, 2020 on LP, CD and All digital platforms. And the feedback we have get so far is amazing.
What is the meaning behind the album?
Well, the title “Impulse To Soar” is the vocal interpretation of the painting that Maria Stergiou has created particularly for this release, it represents diversity and the caring instincts of a mother who will hold tenderly and take care of an “ugly” cocoon until it hatches and transforms, so when the time comes for it to fly away, she will provide that boost that will define the most important moment of its life. You could say that our music has this diversity too. Sometimes it’s wild and complex, sometimes calm and easy.
What was the writing and recording process like?
Calyces started out as a solo project of mine and the songs of “impulse to soar” was already well into pre-production stage, even before the other guys joined the band. So everything is quite easy for all of us. What we had to do as a band was to study on and rehearse all the tracks intensively until they are solid and feel alive. “Impulse To Soar” was recorded in various studios around Athens co-produced by Ektoras Tsolakis and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music Studios (New York).
Describe each track in two words.
False Awakening: Bad trip
Ego Dries Up the Ocean: Social Disease
Those Flames Are Dancing Wild: Nature’s Revenge
Parasites: Human Greed
The Great Void: distant life
Wired Crown: Rise & Fall
Unfair Labor: Dead line
Home: Alice in Chains
Beyond Sight: Hypnotic Riff
Uneven Loops: No words
We’re lost but it’s ok: One Take
Will we see a music video for any of the track?
We have already released two official videos for the “The Great Void” and “Those Flames are Dancing Wild”
Listen to IMPULSE TO SOUR
Do you have any online shows coming up?
No
What else can we expect in 2020 and Early 2021?
Alien invasion maybe? Or a comet falling to the earth
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
No
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
If we find something interesting why not. E-mail is good.
Do you play any instruments?
No :-p
Who are your influences?
Mastodon, Gojira, Intronaut, Baroness, Devin Townsend, meshuggah, Opeth etc. I also listen to a lot of classic progressive rock from the 70’s like Rush, King Crimson, Genesis. So I think that our music is somehow a combination of old progressive rock music with our favourite elements of the 00’s, in a self-defining way.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Inspiration comes from every were, cause sounds is everywhere, an alarm clock or a bad signal radio can inspire me to write a riff or a son
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Somewhere in the world touring with calyces, I hope so.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Working, hanging with family & friends, drink beers, watch movies..etc.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
The track that get me into prog music is Cygnus X-1 by Rush.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Do your shit.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Don’t let anyone tell you there’s something you can’t do
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
It’s a long way to the top if you wanna prog, n roll
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Zagorochoria
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Everywhere outside Greece
2/ Who do you see first? Anything heavy and fast
3/What do you eat first? Souvlaki
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Expensive beers, dirty toilets, Hanging with friends, watching the band, next day hangover
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
FOLLOW CALYCES:
FB
IG
YT
