After a hiatus of 12 years one of the most respectfull bands in the dark/black underground side of the music but still melodic has returned. We speak about Swedish Algaion, who has just unleashed its third effort "EXTHROS". Read what mastermind Mathias Kamijo - Guitar, bass, keyboards has to say about it and not only.

1.Are you satisfied with the final result of your new album "Exthros"?
- Yeah, I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. This has been the longest time we've ever spent on a recording but also the first time we had a real budget to record an album. We started the recording in January and the final master was handed to me in the beginning of October.
Some of the songs were even written during the actual recording of Exthros.

2.Can you give us a description how it sounds?
- For those who know our earlier releases I can say that the new album sounds like a mix of all three previous CD's.Very melodic "blackmetal" with a lot of guitar harmonies like always, but the big difference is that we have a great drummer this time and both me and Mårten have become much better at what we do since the last time we recorded an album in 1997.

3.This is your third full length, with your previous one to be released back in 1997. Why it took so long for a new album?
- Well, we just lost interest and motivation after we recorded "The Herostratic legacy" MCD in 1998 since it never was released.
We never officially split up. We just took a really long break I guess. We kept ourselves busy with other bands during the break.

4.Your two older full length releases are almost some kind of cult ones in the underground circles. Whats your expectations through the new release?
- I've never seen Algaion or our releases as "cult" but it seems a lot of people keep telling us this which is of course appreciated.
I really have no expectations on the new album. i just hope people still remember us and hopefully will go out and buy the album when it's out.
But hopefully it will give us the opportunity to get out and play live alot more. We've only done 3 live gigs ever you know. 2 in Sweden in 1998 and one in London in 2008.

5.You choose a greek word (Exthros) for the title of your new album that translated into "Enemy". Who really is the enemy?
- It felt natural to do this since this album is "back to the roots" for us and our roots are firmly planted in the Greek blackmetal sound.
Who the enemy is? We are the enemy.

6. I see one more track with greek title "Theos Tou Aimatos". Who is this god of blood? The whole lyrics of the track are in greek language?
- The god of blood is a purely fictional character. A god to rule one and all throught the spilling of blood. Only the title and part of the chorus is in english.

7. Why you choose starting the album with a track called "Alpha"(the first letter of greek alphabet), and ended with "Omega" (the last letter of greek alphabet)?
- Simply because we have an intro and outro on the album with no names so why not Alpha/Omega. It fits perfect with the theme of the album.
No deeper meaning behind it.

8. You have also included a cover on Rotting Christ' s hit Sign Of Evil Existence, but you add The Era Of Satan Rising. It smells surprise!
- You don't know "The era of satan rising"? It's one of the best songs ever from a Greek band. It was recorded by Thou Art Lord and since the music was written by Sakis Tolis it felt like a good choice to put those two songs together as OUR tribute to our early influences.

9.So its clear you are quite influenced from greek black metal scene. How and when does this love started? Whats your best bands from greek scene?
- That's correct. I got discovered Rotting Christ in 1992 and started writing music influenced by them. But since these songs didn't fit into the band I was in at that time I decided to start a new one together with Mårten who was in that other band also. I really liked the fact that it didn't sound Norwegian or Scandinavian like all the other bands you heard back then. Rotting Christ was and still is my favourite band from Greece followed by Thou Art Lord, Varathron and Necromantia.

10.The average black metal bands today get their influences from North scene. You are a north band but you get a totally different direction, avoiding the "commercial", "easy" way. Why?
- I guess the only reason would be what you just said. Everybody is influenced by the Scandinavian scene so I guess if we're influenced by the "mediterranean" scene it gives us a sound that perhaps stands out from the other bands from up north. I'm not saying I don't like the scandinavian sound. I of course do, but I try not to let it be the main influence in my music.

11.And what about the lyrics of the new album?
- Mårten always writes really good lyrics but since this is nothing he would like to share with people other than me I can't really say much about it. Sorry.

12.How do the swedish fans face the music of Algaion?
- Hard to say since we hardly ever get any mail or reactions from the swedish fans. I would say that 99% of all the correspondence we get trough our Myspace site is from outside sweden. I guess this must mean we have no fans in Sweden haha!

13.Are you going to play any live shows for supporting "Exthros"?
- Yes, that is our intention. The only thing we have confirmed yet is a festival in Sweden in March together with the Haunted and Bullet amongst others.
Apart from that nothing booked yet. But we will gladly consider any offers we get and se if it will be possible to do more shows. Greece would obviously be a dream for us to play in.

14.How you could describe your music style to someone that has never heard of Algaion before?
- Very melodic "blackmetal" with alot of guitar harmonies. If you're looking for grim, oldschool and frostbitten blackmetal you wont like us.

15.I know you participate in some other bands.Let us know them?
- At the moment my main focus is on Algaion but I've also done stuff with a band called Morifade in the past 4-5 years. Quite different from Algaions music but it has made me a better guitarist. In the past I've also released an album with N.C.O (Nephenzy chaos order) called "Pure black disease" through Baphomer/Red stream and also done some session work touring with Hypocrisy, Pain and Sinergy.

16.I would like to know some of your all time favourites albums?
- Every King Diamond album between  "Fatal Portrait" and "The spiders lullaby", all the Rotting Christ albums are fantastic also and of course "De mysteriis dom sathanas"  by Mayhem and "In the nightside eclipse" by Emperor.

17.Whats your best bands to come ever from Sweden?
- Too many to mention them all but it differs quite alot in style. At the moment I really like Few against many, Scar Symmetry, Shining, Ofermod and Nefandus.
17a. The worst ever?
The worst bands can stay unmentioned but they too are MANY.

18.Whats your future plans?
- Get Exthros released, do some kind of tour maybe, and if there's interest from Pulverised do another album. Hopefully sooner than 2021

19.Your activities outside music?
- I'm the manager of a musicstore in my hometown Linköping during daytime and apart from that I try to watch as much Icehockey as possible.
I'm not a very exciting person I guess. No churchburnings or satanic rituals in my sparetime.

20.Tell us your philosophy like an individual?
- Simple. Don't bother me and I won't bother you.

21.Last words are yours
- Many thanks for your support and we hope to see any fans we might have in Greece real soon.
Horns up!

Thanx so much

Panthro

Notice: The band photo is by Filip Leo.