EMQ’s with REDREIGNER
EMQ’s with REDREIGNER
Hi everyone. Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Greek Death Metal band, Redreigner. Huge thanks to their Guitarists, Constantine Jajas and Petros Jajas, for talking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Constantine: Let me start off by saying thank you for having us. My name is Constantine Jajas and I cover one of the guitar roles in Redreigner.
Petros: My name is Petros Jajas and I also play guitar in the band. We play Death Metal, more or less. The band is relatively new. We (Petros and Constantine) started about a year ago by putting together some songs. We needed a way to decompress our frustration as people. We always have been music lovers and metal-heads. Paschalis Christofilos and Anastasis Karamichalis joined the group and off we were.
Constantine: We knew they would fit right in because we were familiar with their sound and really wanted that in ours. We had heard Paschalis furiously scream in his other band Zakula and previously in Sacram. He’s a beast and full of energy. Anastasis has taken up bass duties for numerous Metal bands in Thessaloniki and knowing he could handle the fretless bass made him our number one candidate. We are grateful to have everyone in the band.
How did you come up with your band name?
Petros: First of all it wasn’t already taken. Which was good! Also it revolves around the themes we write about. Life, death, frustration, oppression, suppression, propaganda, pain, tears & fears, etc….don’t write about Satan and politics directly. Our lyrics are mostly ambiguous and their interpretation depends on the one doing the listening / reading.
What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
Petros: We come from Greece. A wonderful country where the arts have always been a part of the culture. Nothing like the music we play of course. Our stuff is more contemporary and up to date with today’s world reality. We are contemporary people much more in-tune with the pulse of Metal and its sub-genres. Cultures matter no longer. A good riff is enough to give purpose to people in this day and age. Hope we’ll accomplish that for some.
The scene here has always been fairly active and decent. Numerous good bands, some going back decades. Inveracity, Dead Congregation, Anorimoi, Godless, Septic Flesh & Rotting Christ (of-course!), Exhumation, Into the Gore (R.I.P. A.M.X), Homo Iratus, Erectus, Regent, Leprosy, Psycho Choke, Sickening Horror, Cerebrum and so many more….Vavel, Sarissa, etc… Many bands in the scene. However most get lost in time, because of financial instability, but the music gets out one way or another.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Constantine: Our latest is our first. The self-titled EP “Redreigner” was released in December of 2021. Chris Dovas (of Seven Spires, Dovas, Vital Remains etc.) guested on drums and played quality stuff on it. We are really proud of this first release. John Mcris of the band Anorimoi did the stem-mastering at Hell’s Kitchen Recording Studio and Natasha Papika did a fantastic job with the artwork. Some really talented people took part in this first work of ours and we are grateful for it.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Petros: Music is literally endless. Slayer, Warner Bros cartoons, violin, Death, Carcass. Trey is god. Jeff Hanneman you will always be missed. The best of all, Beethoven (undeniable fact-composer of the music of the universe). We’ve also been Cannibal devotees since forever. Let us walk the way carved by the Napalm Death family.
What first got you into music?
Petros: Being pissed and not being able to masturbate enough I guess. A childhood dream was to become a violinist. A disciplined father didn’t let that happen. So I heard Sodom, Slayer, Morbid Angel & Death. Life was different after that happened. Love it.
Constantine: My brother Petros got me into music. Everything else just followed.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?
Petros: Don’t care about that. We like our band. We like our music.
Constantine: Same here.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Petros: Wacken, Bloodstock, Knotfest, Ozzfest. Just put us somewhere with a lot of people. Alive if possible.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Petros: A pair of shoes.
Constantine: Food and Acid. Didn’t consume either.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Petros: Thank you. Stay tuned, more is coming… talk about us to your friends. The dudes, not the assholes. We don’t like assholes.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Petros: Why bring them back in this shithole? They’re finally out of here… let them be. Their music will always be here and everywhere.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Petros: I don’t consider myself a musician. Still getting there. I don’t hate anything. Investing in negativity isn’t productive in this way, I think. Playing music is a blessing and a privilege.
Constantine: Nothing to hate really. I enjoy the silence that follows the release of a good performance, recording, songwriting session etc. Same goes for the process itself.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Petros: Don’t care about the music industry or any other industry. It is exactly what the name suggests. No play of words there. What matters is for music to be happening. That will keep happening at any cost. Always has, always will.
Name one of your all-time favorite albums?
Petros: “South of Heaven” by Slayer, R.I.P. Jeff H.
Constantine: “Individual Thought Patterns” by Death, R.I.P Chuck
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Petros: Anything… It’s subjective, some people like one or the other. Good music is what matters in the end. I always have been nostalgic about being young and listening to the cassette tapes we traded but that is a regressive tendency of humans.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Constantine: Still waiting for that gig that will be labeled as “best”! We’ll see.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Petros: Anything other than corpses!
Constantine: Anything that’s close to animals.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Petros: Don’t like dinner parties. Don’t like inviting people. I like food though.
What’s next for the band?
Petros: Recording more stuff, playing shows. Get the band moving if possible.
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://redreigner.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKg3pNlpKzxr4oVuFwgYSjA
https://www.facebook.com/Redreigner
https://www.instagram.com/redreigner/
Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Petros: It’s a biscuit! Sugar kills but it tastes good, doesn’t it?
Constantine: Cake! A biscuit-size cake is what it is!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Petros: Thank you very much for taking time to present us to your people. Really appreciate it. Wish you all well.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
