HARD DISK DRIVE (Heavy Metal – Greece) – Interview for KICK ASS FOREVER via Angels PR Worldwide Music Promotion #harddiskdrive
Interview conducted and submitted by Marian Nicolaou via Angels PR Music Promotion

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• • Welcome HARD DISK DRIVE! When was the band formed and what made you start playing music together?

Thank you very much for the interview !
The band came together in 2010 by Dinos, Panos & Thanos primarily as a cover band while Paris joined a few years after.
Living in a small town there were only a few people interested in rock music, let alone playing an instrument. That bonded us even more.
We loved the energy & the vibe while being in the same room, jamming.
Of course, being absent from live shows due to the pandemic made us realize how great that feeling was, with all the adrenaline and the excitement that surrounds a live show.

• How would you describe your sound?

Let’s sum it up in 3 words: heavy, melodic, dark! We like to pursue an old – school aesthetic, however filtered through a more modern sound, combining all our different influences.

• You are about to release your “Immortal Nightmares” album. Please let us know more about this release.

Our debut album was recorded mainly during the last 2 years of the pandemic. It contains songs composed mainly over the last 5 years, along with some older stuff too that has been finally recorded. It is self – released and produced, and we believe it will please all fans out there looking for something new, that will also remind them of something old and classic as well.

• Please tell us a few things about the recordings of the album.

The recordings took place in our home studio in Gialova, Greece, under the supervision of our drummer Thanos Karalis. He is a graduate sound engineer, therefore we have the capability of total control and time abundancy in recording. Thus, all the songs were recorded and optimized step – by – step as we did in our previous release (“Whispers over the Sky” EP – 2020). A major challenge was presented in the lead guitar recordings, since our guitar player lives in Athens and the pandemic outburst enforced a total lockdown. As a result, he had to record his own parts in his house, and the whole coordination for the final songs’ arrangements had to be done by remote communication. Finally, Thanos mixed and mastered the recordings to deliver the final outcome.

• How does the creative process work in HARD DISK DRIVE? Do you have a standard way to write a song?

Since we have our own home studio, we take our time to find the appropriate sounds and arrangements. We are constantly working on new riffs and themes, developing everything that is worth to a more complete form. Most often, Dinos (guitars/vocals) will write lyrics based on topics he is inspired from; these include personal experiences or fictional fantasy/goth stories. Typically lead guitar “decorations” come at the end, to give a fitting melodic side to the music.

• What comes first when you write a song: the music or the lyrics and why?

The music may come before or after, developed and arranged independently to the words. As any musician may understand, sometimes music delivers things that can’t be described directly, or it may happen that words find their way ahead of the music. In any case, we make sure that when the two meet, the outcome is fitting.

• Which bands have inspired and influenced HARD DISK DRIVE?

The music of Hard Disk Drive derives from the combination of mainly two genres; the classic heavy metal origins we all grew up with and remain at the top of our playlists (bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Accept) combined with gothic metal influences, such as Paradise Lost, Poisonblack and Charon.

• What is the main reason for you to play music?

Music has been the main way to escape reality, especially during these difficult times. We grew up expressing our every feeling through the music of our idols, and it came about naturally for us to channel our creative needs through our own music.

• “Immortal Nightmares” will be a digital release. Some people argue about internet releases. What is your opinion? Do you plan to release the album in physical format, too?

Truth be told, our old – school aesthetics make us prefer physical format such as CDs or vinyl too. However, nowadays the cost of creating one’s music in physical format is highly non – feasible for small bands such as. Keep in mind, due to the pandemic all live shows were cancelled for the past 2 years, therefore there could be no significant merchandise income. In any case, there is the upside of reaching far more people through streaming platforms, as well as the absolute control of the music’s use without the interference of a third party.

• Do you plan to play live shows in support of the album? Would you be keen on playing outside Greece?

We all are looking forward for the COVID nightmare to be over, and we surely are looking forward to play live. Truth be told, we all would prefer for live shows without restrictions so let’s hope this will happen. We would definitely be keen on travelling abroad to perform, in fact this remains to the “bucket – list” to this day.

• What is your opinion on the Greek Metal scene over time? Which Greek bands would you recommend someone to check out?

We firmly believe that the Greek metal scene stands as one of the strongest in the world. Let’s begin the recommendations by the “holy triad” of Rotting Christ – Septicflesh – Firewind, 3 of the most acknowledged bands nowadays. To all thrash metal fans, be sure to check out Suicidal Angels, Exarsis and Cronosphere. If you are more into the black metal genre, we would suggest Lucifer’s Child and Yoth Iria. On the other hand, all prog fans should check out Mother of Millions, Poem and Scar of the Sun. Finally, Nightrage will definitely please all old – school melodic death metal fans missing the old “Gothenburg” sound.

• Thank you for the interview! We wish you the best of luck with the album. Please feel free to close the interview as you like!

Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to reach out to the heavy metal fans following you. Be sure to check out our debut album “Immortal Nightmares” coming out in digital form on October the 4^th. Stay heavy, stay metal!