EMQ with Eternal

Hi Everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Greek Thrash Metallers, Eternal. Huge thanks to them for taking part.

What is your name? What do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

We are Eternal and we play 80s old school thrash metal. The band was formed in 2022, originally for a school play, but the pieces of the puzzle just fit. Although the school play was cancelled, we continued playing together and started writing material as a band.

How did you come up with your band name?

You could say the band name came as an epiphany during an Ancient Greek class at school. Three of us were classmates, so we started talking about it in class and really loved the concept.

What country or region are you from and what is the Metal or Rock scene like there?

We’re from Athens, Greece, and the metal scene here is really strong. Metal in general has become more and more popular in the country lately. We also have several bands of Greek origin that have become well known worldwide, including Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, Suicidal Angels and Amken.

What is your latest release? Album, EP, Single or Video?

It’s “Man Down (In the Front Row)”, for which we also filmed a video.

Who have been your greatest influences?

That list definitely includes the Big Four, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer, along with Testament, Exodus, Kreator, Havok and Malevolence.

What first got you into music?

Some of us have musicians in the family, so they introduced us to music and gave us an understanding of it. From there, we were able to do our own research and follow our own paths.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?

Featuring Brandon Ellis on a track would feel unreal. He is one of our favourites.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Hellfest is an incredible festival. The management and production teams seem extremely organised, and the whole festival is very attractive to us.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

We don’t know if it would normally be considered a gift, but a very special fan of ours got a tattoo of the title of our very first single, “No Escape”, right after it was released.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

They are one of the most important reasons why we keep trying to outdo ourselves each time. The support they show us makes us some of the happiest musicians around.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Dio was a huge and devastating loss to the metal community, so bringing him back and hearing the man himself sing once again has to be the answer.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

The best part of being a musician is the satisfaction you get from writing a song and releasing new material, while also seeing the impact it has on your listeners.

One thing that annoys us is the negativity that is sometimes shown by bands towards each other. Sometimes there isn’t the sense of unity there should be, and that can be quite frustrating.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Most musicians struggle to earn enough to make a living, which is especially difficult nowadays with the increased cost of living. We would like to see musicians given greater recognition for their cultural value and more support for the work they do.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

For sure, “Rust in Peace” by Megadeth. The writing and the power of the four musicians performing on it are out of this world, along with the instantly recognisable solos of the legendary Marty Friedman.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?

Our personal favourite is vinyl because it’s not only a way to listen to music, but also something you can collect. Its beauty is unmatched, especially with all the artwork and booklets that come with it. We can just sit there looking at everything inside and outside the record and get lost in it.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Our best gig has to be Schoolwave Festival 2024, where we played on a football court with thousands of people in a circle pit. It was quite a spectacle.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

We can’t really imagine choosing an entirely different career, but if we had to, we would probably do something related to technology, marketing, or business.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Nick Menza, Dave Mustaine from the 1990s and James Hetfield as a curveball. That would be an interesting dinner party.

What’s next for the band?

We’re always writing new material. We also have touring plans in the works, along with a huge merch drop and other projects including videos and playthroughs. So always keep one eye open.

What Social Media or Website links do you use to get your music out to people? Please include any links.

We upload our music to all streaming platforms and also use Linktree to bring together Spotify, YouTube and all of our social media channels so fans can keep in touch with the band.

https://linktr.ee/eternal.thrash

Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm or Barm Cake, a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?

Mmm, we think the correct answer is bun. It must be bun, right?

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Thank you for having us. We just want to say that we couldn’t be happier with how the album has turned out. We’re really excited about what’s coming next and all the big plans currently in the works.

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.