Interview with HELLPASS
Interview with HELLPASS
Hello there! First of all let me introduce myself and the band. My name is Alexander, I am the drummer of Hellpass and I represent HellPass as their spokesman. We are honored to be hosted in an interview by you and we would like to thank you for this opportunity you have given us, thus letting a broader audience to get to know us better! We are Hellpass, a Heavy/Thrash Metal band from Thessaloniki Greece. Our band currently consists of five members Aggelos on guitar, Vasilis on vocals, Nick on bass, Vaggelis on guitar and Alex (myself) on drums.
Hellpass were formed on June 2022 by Aggelos on guitars, Vasilis on vocals and bass and myself (Alex) on drums from the remnants of an earlier band that the three of us played in. We started out as a three piece and within a couple of months we had composed our debut album, “Gates of War”, in its entirety and in the late summer of ‘22 we entered the recording studio. Meantime, we were searching for a bassist so Vasilis could focus more on vocals. In the early fall of 2022 Nick entered the band and started learning songs and rehearsing immediately.
On November of 2022 we released our favourite song “Oath to the Metal Gods” as a single and Music Video, which you can watch on our YouTube channel. “Oath to the Metal Gods” is dedicated to and speaks for all the metal fans that have carved their souls with the sonic energy that we call Metal Music.
On January of 2023 our second single and Music Video came out and it’s titled “Futura”, a song that sings about the social decadence of the modern western society. “Futura” was shot in ImageNation studios which are here in Thessaloniki, where Hellpass are currently based.
On February of 2023 our metal child, so to speak, our first born, “Gates of War” Hellpass’ debut release got out. “Gates of War” is an album that speaks about the still going on war in Ukraine and the ways goverments and states have devised in order to divide the people. Once “Gates of War” was released it immediately was well received by the press, the fans, radios, YouTube channels and streaming platforms all over the globe. Those interested can find it on all music related platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp on which the option of purchasing it exists. Also, on Bandcamp fans can purchase the Hellshirt! That’s the official T-shirt of the “Gates of War” album. Other places online that one can find and purchase “Gates of War” are AppleMusic, AmazonNow, Deezer.
All those interested can find all those link on the Hellinktree, your link to Hell: https://linktr.ee/hellpass
Since February Hellpass is a live performing band. We have already played on well known stages of the biggest cities in Greece. Anyone interested can check our live videos on our YouTube Channel. We are currently on tour, spreading “Gates of War” our debut album all over Greece and beyond.
We were offered a slot in Over the Wall festival that we have accepted with honor. We are going to play there, on the island of Crete, on the 26th of August 2023 as support for the veterans of heavy metal Virgin Steele!
I have saved for last the event that we are mostly excited about! I’m referring of course to our European tour with the black metal berserkers Arallu, with our death metal brothers from Athens Among Ruins and our death metal neighbors Gravestone from 11 until 19 of November of 2023.
Our latest news are the release of “Burning Flags”, the closing song of our album “Gates of War”, as a Music Video which was also shot in ImageNation studios and is available on our YouTube channel. “Burning Flags” is a flaming metal song that burns out all the boundaries and unites the people of the world together, so Burn,Burn,Burn the flags!!!
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
Music was always a love of mine, so I began playing and composing from an early age and got involved with many musicians and bands not only in the metal scene but in a broader sense.
Considering heavy music, the aggressiveness of the heavy sound and the energy that flows from it appealed to me from an early age. I remember the first time I’ve ever listened to heavy metal. I was eleven years old with a friend, around my age, and he said to me: would you like to listen to something that will blow your ears out? I said: Sure! And he immediately opened a portable CD player, inserted a CD and cranked the volume knob. The sound that came out of the speakers was vicious for my childish ears. It was Iron Maiden – Fear of the dark. That was it, I was a metal fan, I was hooked for life!
Outside of music I’m a yoga instructor and I’m involved in many activities relative to this, since the spiritual side of human kind was always an interest of mine. From the beginning of this life I was into art, culture, literature, history, religion and spirituality. So if I was not into to music I would probability be into some other art form. Really, for me, there is no life worth living outside of these.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
My interests are culture, art and yoga. I’m reading a lot. I enjoy reading philosophy, from Thales to Nietzsche and everything in between; also I’m studying a lot of non-western scriptures and systems of thought and worship. Since I’m involved in yoga I do keep a close contact with Hinduism, Buddhist and oriental, in general, writings and teachings.
Theater is another interest of mine. I’m not only going to watch plays but I read playwrights also. Henrik Ibsen is my favourite, and in my opinion, the best play writer of modern European theater. I admire his writing, opinions and way of thinking.
I person like me, active in these fields can’t remain uninfluenced by these. They definitely add elements to my creativity in a non-rational and maybe non-cognitive way thus rendering my unable to pin point any of those elements down.
How long has your band been around? Also, please tell me about the dynamic of the band of what brought you all together.
I consider Hellpass to be a new and fresh band. Hellpass as an entity, so to speak, exists for 11 months from the time that I and Angelos got together, formed the band and started composing our first song. Many things have changed since then. We had, up until recently, many lineup changes. Currently, Hellpass are Vasilis (vocals), Angelos(Guitars),Vaggelis(Guitars), Nick(Bass) and myself (Alex on drums).
The element that brought Angelos and myself together is our love for heavy music and the burning desire to get involved with it professionally. We first met through an online ad. Angelos was playing in a heavy metal band at the time and they were in need of a drummer, so I called and booked an audition. After our first jam I was the official drummer of that band. When this project disbanded the two of us started Hellpass. Until that time (June of 2022) we are actualizing our vision day by day, moment by moment and here we are today.
That love for heavy music and the need to perform live all around the globe is what keeps Hellpass together to this day. From that love “Gates of War”, our debut album, sprung forth.
Where are you based and how did that influence your music?
We are currently based in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. The climate, the weather and the culture of the place that one inhabits, definitely influences creative expression, but when we are composing music we don’t focus on where we currently inhabit, rather we live our imagination free to fly where it wants to go and we bring back the fruits of that journey with us.
How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?
We are a heavy metal band! So we wanted a heavy metal name. Since the very beginning heavy music has been associated with satan and everything that entity encompasses. So we wanted a name representative of this element. What can be more metal than Hell? Well, a ticket to hell! That’s our music! Hellpass is fucking metal.
As Chris Reifert said in the past: “You’ve got a band named Autopsy, what did you expect to hear?” I ask the same question: “You’ve got a band named Hellpass, what did you expect to hear?” Heavy metal of course, is my answer.
In order to answer the second part of this question: as you should have guest by now, Hellpass is just a cool heavy metal name for me. I, personally, don’t assign any special meaning to it.
Tell me about your most memorable shows.
The most memorable show for me is one during which our frontman, Vasilis, divided the crowd in two halves and had one half screaming “Hell” and the other half “Pass”. That’s a show I did enjoy.
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
I don’t have any favourite venue at this point. I’ve enjoyed every venue that Hellpass has played in so far but nothing more than this, but there is a place where I would like Hellpass to perform at. Hellfest! And that’s because it’s a fucking awesome metal festival and because I like the affinity of the two names. To me sounds cool that Hellpass is playing at Hellfest. What could be more suitable than this?
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
Hmm that’s a toughie. I would say that a band that I would like to see performing live is Darkthrone. They have played only a handful of shows in their existence and it’s their choice to not play live shows but to me it would be cool to see Darkthrone perform live only once with Hellpass as a supporting band. I know that this is a utopic scenario but imagine what honor it would be for Hellpass to support this great band!
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
Connect with your band mates first and then play music with them. Your person connection with the rest of the band will carry over to the bands overall performance.
And to my younger self I would advise: Don’t hesitate to be who you really are.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
I’m mostly fan of the extreme end of metal music, so Futura is my favourite song because to me it sounds as one of the most extreme songs of the album. I had always an affinity for the more aggressive side of metal. The sheer energy of extreme metal possesses me from the very beginning.
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
My favourite song to play is Futura for the reasons I gave on the previews question. Judging from the feedback that “Gates of War” has gotten so far, different people like different songs. I understand that every song in “Gates of War” has found the correct ears to invade in and made a good impact.
What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
In Hellpass we go for the more raw, organic approach to metal music. Angelos, our guitarist, is the main composer for the songs that are included in the “Gates of War” album. So, basically Angelos came up with all the parts of the stringed instruments, brought them in the rehearsal room and then we jammed endlessly all together until we were satisfied with the end product. Once the musical part had reached its’ final form, Vasilis, our singer wrote all the lyrics and came up with the vocal parts. When the composing process ended we rehearsed to death!
We rehearse until we become sick of our own music and we enter the recording studio and start playing those songs live.
This is, briefly, how we function.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
Music, for me, is about communicating with those inside and those outside. Music is about uniting the human race. Is about uniting the individual with that that seems other and with itself through the dissolution of the personality into the sonic sea. This is the deeper meaning and the message of any kind of music.
Do you have any new singles, videos, or albums out that you would like to tell me and your fans about?
Our new music video is out!!! It’s titled “Burning Flags”, is the closing song of our album “Gates of War” and it was shot in ImageNation studios and is available on our YouTube channel (https://linktr.ee/hellpass). “Burning Flags” is a flaming metal song that burns out all the boundaries and unites the people of the world together, so Burn,Burn,Burn the flags!!!
Stay tuned for more videos like this one!
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
We are currently on tour, thus spreading “Gates of War” our debut album all over Greece and beyond.
We already have played four gigs in our city, Thessaloniki, and performed once in Athens. Our next live is also in Athens on the 14th of May this year and then we have already booked shows in Volos and Larisa.
We were offered a slot in Over the Wall festival that we have accepted with honor. We are going to play there, on the island of Crete, on the 26th of August 2023 as support for the veterans of heavy metal Virgin Steele!
I have saved for last the event that we are mostly excited about! I’m referring of course to our European tour with the black metal berserkers Arallu, with our death metal brothers from Athens Among Ruins and our death metal neighbors Gravestone from 11 until 19 of November of 2023.
How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?
All those interested can find every Hellpass-related link on the Hellinktree, your link to Hell: https://linktr.ee/hellpass
It is equally important for musicians and fans to understand that bands, YouTube Channels, podcasts, radio stations, venues, promoters, sound engineers, road crews, etc. exist only because of, and to the degree of, the support that the fans show to the bands.
So, you, metalhead, who are reading this interview I kindly suggest that you subscribe to our YouTube Channel, follow Hellpass on facebook and Instagram, listen to our music on Spotify, buy our music, if so desire, on Bandcamp and also get your Hellshirt.
By doing these simple things one day you will be able to watch us perform your favorite Hellpass song live and have a great time banging your head with us.
Always remember: music is here to unite the human race and everything starts from you.
VIDEO
HellPass - "Oath to the Metal Gods" (Official Music Video)
HellPass - "Futura" (Official Music Video)
OFFICIAL LINKS
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hellpassband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellpass.band
Bandcamp:
https://hellpass.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://rb.gy/wcokiw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellpass.band/