1. To kick things off: Tell our audience a bit about the origin story of your Band.
Dimitra Kalavrezou: Thank you for this great opportunity to talk about our album and the story behind the band. I met Unverkalt guitarist Themis Ioannou in 2015, and a couple of years later, in 2017, we started making music together and experimenting with different sounds in Athens, Greece. What began simply as an exploration eventually grew into a full album, L’Origine du Monde, which we released in 2020. At that point, Unverkalt was still very much an experiment for us, we didn’t really know where it would lead, and that was part of what made it exciting. We felt the need to create a space where all these unspoken emotions and ideas could take shape, and Unverkalt became the right path for us to express them. In 2021, we moved to Berlin and slowly began reshaping the band, eventually arriving at the form it has today. Berlin played a key role in that evolution. The city gave us a sense of freedom, a supportive environment, and a completely new breath of life for the band.
2. Tell us about your new project?
Themis Ioannou: We play music exactly the way we feel it. We write music that can take you on a journey, music that tries to express pain while also creating a whole journey through it. Our sound is a mixture of many different influences that we’ve had over the years, especially from the ’90s. I come from that generation, and when we started Unverkalt, a lot of the music I was composing was deeply attached to that period. I think that naturally shaped the band’s sound and led us towards the direction we are in today. It has aggressive riffs and melodic choruses, where one is almost trying to overcome the other. I think our music is a blend of many different influences coming together, and it can speak to people who have trained their ears to appreciate melody but also extreme sounds at the same time.
3. How has the songwriting evolved with the band over the years? What does that process look like for you lately?
Themis: I’m the kind of person who can wake up at four in the morning because a melody is stuck in my head and I can’t sleep. Writing has always been very instinctive for me, I write music when I feel that I need to and it often happens during periods when I’m not feeling well. Somehow, those moments tend to push me towards music. Because of that, the initial ideas for our songs often start with me, and from there it becomes a collaborative process. Everyone brings their own character, ideas and way of playing into it, and that interaction is a big part of what ultimately makes something sound like Unverkalt.
4. What are some of the recurring themes or messages you find yourself exploring in your lyrics?
Dimitra: From the beginning, I felt the urge to explore the human condition, how we interact with the world and how the world interacts with us. Music became a haven for me, a way to face fears, insecurities and emotions that were sometimes difficult to confront directly and create a universe where I could feel safe. There has always been this human-centered side to Unverkalt, exploring identity, death, life and what makes us who we are. With HÉRÉDITAIRE, identity became even more prominent – how our surroundings shape us, what we carry with us, and how we can break away from the things that hold us back. If I had to sum it up, Unverkalt explores the psychological side of being human – our lyrics are about looking inward, facing uncomfortable truths and finding what is our own.
5. Do you find your energy translates better in an intimate club style venue or a massive festival setting?
Dimitra: For me, there is no better setting. Having the opportunity to play our music anywhere and connect with people through it is one of the most important things. Every show counts and every person who is there counts. Whether you play for two people or a thousand, the feeling of expressing yourself and connecting through music is something I can’t really compare with anything else. My favorite show so far was the release show of HÉRÉDITAIRE in Berlin. It was such a beautiful and special night for us, and one I will always remember.
6. Which Artists or Band inspired you to be in a Band?
Themis: I was always listening to music, all kinds of music. I didn’t have any limits. Anything that caught my attention and made me turn my ear and my head, anything that made me curious, gave me images and inspiration.Over time, I started collecting all these influences and putting them together in one bag. I started with rock and grunge and ended up listening to black metal. I started with alternative music and found myself listening to and loving Pink Floyd. I started with post-punk and ended up listening to Depeche Mode. The artists that have stayed with me are the ones who, even today, make me go back in time and listen to them again. After all these years, I can appreciate the huge influence they have had on me, but also on a big part of the metal world and beyond. Artists and bands like The Cure, Nirvana, My Dying Bride, Eloy, Pink Floyd, Slayer, Isis, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Madrugada, Emperor… I think the list never ends, and I don’t think it ever will.
Eli Mavrychev (Guitars, Vocals): There are far too many artists who inspired me to be in a band to name them all, but the biggest turning point was discovering Napalm Death and then seeing them live for the first time as a teenager. That experience completely changed everything for me. Their intensity, stage presence and power of the performance made me want to take music much more seriously and pushed me to start my first projects with real dedication and a far more professional mindset.
7. If you could sit down and collaborate with any Artist or Band right now, who would be at the top of your list and Why?
Eli: This is a very difficult question. I think I would love to enter the studio and jam some kind of dark, experimental fusion with a few guest musicians whose art I admire. Who would I invite? My top three would be Alison Chesley on cello, Bruce Lamont on saxophone and Ben Frost shaping ambience, noise and rhythms.
Themis: It’s something I’ve wanted for years, a longtime wish, and I say it quite often in many interviews I give. Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost. I think he is one of the artists who is closest to us and to the musical influences of our band. It’s a secret wish I’ve had for years. Paradise Lost is a band that has given me countless hours of listening and countless hours of inspiration, especially through Nick Holmes’ vocals.
8. What’s the current Pulse of the Metal Scene from your perspective?
Themis: The metal scene went through a decline at some point in the 2000s, but after a big fight from both the people and the bands, the metal scene and the genre itself are now constantly moving upwards. It’s difficult to stand out among so many bands that come out all the time, but if you have the guts to keep going, you will eventually find your place. For me, the scene keeps growing more and more. The pie is huge, but if you have the right qualities, you can find diamonds out there, because believe me, there are many diamonds. You just need to be willing to search for them and find them.
Eli: To me, the scene feels very active and creatively healthy, but also oversaturated. There is more great music being released than anyone can realistically follow. That gives artists enormous creative freedom, but I think it also makes it increasingly difficult for a band to attract attention and build a lasting connection with listeners.
9. Are there any endorsements or gear brands you’re currently working with that you’d like to shout out?
Themis: Yes, I would like to mention that I personally work with an amazing company from Germany called Underdog, which makes the CHUCK. It’s a pedal that is very easy to use and ready to travel everywhere with me, without having to carry tons of equipment. What I really like about it is that it combines a real tube preamp with the flexibility of the digital world, with effects, presets and an IR loader, so you can have everything you need in one unit. The most important thing for me is that I can have the sound of the band inside it, exactly the way we recorded our guitars. I have the honor of working closely with Underdog, and I really appreciate that they trusted me with their pedal and welcomed me as part of their artists. It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve gained through the different collaborations I’ve had as a musician over the years.
Eli: Massive shoutout to Austrian Audio, ESP Guitars, Fishman, Tallon Electric, Novation, Sonicware, Warm Audio, Solid State Logic, Klanghabitat, Audient, Thermionic Culture and Neural DSP.
10. What does your tour calendar look like? Any big shows or festivals we should be made aware of?
Dimitra: We have some exciting shows coming up, including Berlin, Leipzig and Schwedt-Oder, and we’re really looking forward to being on the road again. We also recently started working with Flaming Arts Agency for our bookings, which feels like an important new step for us as a band. There are more things taking shape behind the scenes, so hopefully we’ll have much more to share soon. We’re really excited to see where this next chapter takes us.
11. What is your very first Metal album you ever bought ?
Themis: You’re taking me many years back, and it’s really difficult to remember exactly, because that was more the era of cassettes and less of vinyl and CDs, of course. I think the first album, or cassette, I bought was Bleach by Nirvana, and also Seasons in the Abyss by Slayer, again on cassette. They were so different from each other, alternative and punk on one side and something completely different on the other, that they made me wonder which of the two I liked more. It was the era when you listened to the whole cassette without skipping anything and learned all the lyrics by heart.
Eli: I was lucky to have parents who bought me plenty of metal and hard rock records when I was a kid, so I was exposed to bands like Anthrax, Slayer, Pantera and Alice in Chains from a very early age. But the first metal album I ever bought with my own pocket-money savings was Sepultura’s “Chaos A.D”.
12. What was the very first metal concert you ever went to?Â
Themis: For the first metal concert, I think it was Paradise Lost during the Draconian Times period. That’s the one I still remember.
Eli: As for my first metal concert, it was a small local gig. I honestly cannot remember the names of the bands anymore.
13. What is your LinkTree or Online Link ?
LINKTREE
