ON THORNS I LAY - Christos Dragamestianos interview

Christos Dragamestianos, guitarist of ON THORNS I LAY, answered our questions about subjects such as the beginning of the band, its evolution and Eternal Silence, the incoming album of this cult Greek band.

Hi Chris ! How are you and how does ON THORNS I LAY is doing ?

Hi. I am fine and finally enjoy my time here in Athens after a lot of time spent abroad. With ON THORNS I LAY we are finalizing the incoming album, full of passion for music

Let’s speak a little bit about your introduction to music, how did you fall into it ?

When I was a little kid I remember myself listening to pop music of the 80 s. So I asked my parents to start classic guitar lessons.

What was your musician / band inspiration at these time ? What are your musician / band inspiration now?

I remember that I loved Phil Colins, Roxette, Europe, etc. Now I keep listening to Swedish death metal bands, old and new stuff like ENTOMBED, BLOODBATH, doom death metal like SHAPE OF DESPAIR. I still admire the music of KATATONIA. I want to mention two French bands that I saw live in London and I liked them a lot. Their names are KLONE and MARS CHRONICLES. I could mention a lot more but this would take a while, believe me !

How did you learn music/guitar ?

I started from classic guitar studies and then went on to electric guitar with 2 years interval studying piano

What was your first guitar model?

I remember my first guitar was an Ibanez RG 550 with a terrible yellow-black color! Awful appearance but good sound…

I really appreciate your guitar composition; the melodies are always colorful and may sound nostalgic. What is your way to get it?

It’s simple, there are just feelings and expressing them through music, everyday situations of life purely expressed by music.

How is the song process in ON THORNS I LAY ?

I usually compose all the songs and in rehearsals everyone comes with an extra idea mostly for the structure of a song.

Could you please share some information about your gear (guitar, amp, pedals) for each albums?

I really do not remember so much regarding the amps and pedals we used then for the first albums (it has been almost 20 years). But in the last three albums we used Engl Powerball preamps, Les Paul Standard – Takamine and Godin guitars, with some Boss pedals.

What advice could you provide to a new and advanced player ?

I would advise him to practice a lot and try to find a personal style of composing and playing. It is very important to try to be unique.

On a weekly basis, how much time do you spend practicing?

I could say that I am practicing composing new songs, which I really love doing, as much as the rest of the daily program allows me.

ON THORNS I LAY changed a lot years after years, all albums are like a cornerstone. How did you get the inspiration? Did you have the feeling that everything has been done as you wanted for each albums?

Now I could say that of course if I had the chance I would change a lot of things mostly regarding the production and the sound parameters, but in general I fell that each album has its own atmosphere…

Did you already think to do a remaster, or to play in live, some of your first album with PARALYSIS and then with PHLEBOTOMY ?

To tell you the truth we are focusing mostly on new ideas and stuff than recycling old stuff…It is something that I do not like doing.

Speaking about old albums, have you ever though to remix some ON THORNS I LAY album, like Orama ?

Well no, I have not though about it

All is Silent has been recorded and remix as well on Crystal Tears. Is it plan to record your last albums with your actual music style and sound ?

No we have not planned something like this

Do you still have some contacts with the past members (Jim, Roula, Marcela and Thanasis, Georgia, from Greece, and Andrew, Elena and Ionna from Romania) ? As I do remember you’ve been in Romania with Stefanos as well for some time. Did you keep in touch with some bands over there ?

Unfortunately we have lost contact with most of our previous members….but I would like a lot doing a new album with Marcela, Ioanna and Elena.

Some solo on Orama has been played by by Thanasis Hatziagapis. Is Thanasis still active in music ?

Of course Thanasis has his own band called SORROWFUL WINDS. He is a close friend of our drummer’s and of course he’s a great guitar player!

Speaking about your albums, if you will have to give one or two words about each ON THORNS I LAY album, which words will choose to describe them one by one?

Sounds of experience : youth and enthusiasm

Orama : Fairytale

Crystal Tears : Feelings

Future Narcotic : Future melancholy

Angeldust : Dawn of grief

Egocentric : Innerself

How do you judge ON THORNS I LAY evolution, from the first album to the last one ?

We have been experimenting a lot; sometimes probably a little bit more than we should….so now it is time for back to the roots!

One major step for ON THORNS I LAY was your label, Holy Records. How did you found them ?

It is 20 years back…I remember that they found us….Of course they helped the band a lot and I could say that we thank them for all the support they offered us.

Speaking about them it seems that you had some problems with them for your “last” album with them. May we please have additional details?

They helped us a lot but with our album Future narcotic which I believe was one of the best ON THORNS I LAY albums. We felt that they did not support us as much we think that we deserved so after that we decided to change label. But really, no hard feelings…

The music style changed as well into ON THORNS I LAY once you started to work with Black Lotus. Then Black Lotus closed, you worked with Sleaszy Rider Records and it seems that you do not have longer any label. Is it a choice ?

In fact we did two albums with Black Lotus and then we made a pause for 10 years due to personal and professional reasons. We just signed a deal with Sleaszy Rider Records.

Speaking about choice, may we know why does Precious Silence has been only released via bandcamp / internet ?

Precious silence is a rough rehearsal of some of the new stuff.

May we please get additional information about the status of your incoming album ?

We have now completed the recordings and we are mixing it. The name our new album which we started recording it many years ago is Eternal silence and it will be out in May 2015!

Let’s speak about the future of ON THORNS I LAY. I’ve see an old picture on ON THORNS I LAY Facebook page, pictures taken from “Crystal Tears” album. What does this picture represent? Should we expect to have a kind of “back to the root” style for the next album ?

It is a back to the roots thing. After many sound experiments and changes in musical style felt that we want to play the music that we dreamed of 20 years back…so await from us the unaccepted!

Line-up d’On Thorns I Lay en 2000, pour l’album “Future Narcotic”

Speaking about this album what should we expect as thema ?

Pure atmospheric doom death metal with violin and female vocals.

The picture on the Facebook page show as well Marcela Buruiana, may we know if she’ll be part of the ON THORNS I LAY line-up or does the lineup remain as before ? Does the new album will have as well a violin player ?

ON THORNS I LAY is Stefanos as bassist and singer, Fotis at the drums, Antony for the keyboard, Anna for female voice and I as guitarist. Mahi Nil is the main vocalist she is also part of JADED STAR.

And yeah, there will be a lot of violin as violin is essential and a part of the ON THORNS I LAY sound.

Il y aura bien entendu beaucoup de violon du fait que le violon est essentiel et une caractéristique du son de ON THORNS I LAY.

In general, which albums are you listening? Which albums are for you seen as “masterwork” ?

The albums that I could describe as masterwork are many. I will mention what I have not stopped listening to.

Solar Lovers, CELESTIAL SEASON, probably the best music ever written
Always, THE GATHERING
Cause of Death, OBITUARY
Nightmares made flesh, BLOODBATH
Alice in hell and Never Neverland,ANNIHILATOR, but also ULVER and OPETH s discography and of course KATATONIA’s work

This interview comes to an end. Do you have a last word for the french reader ?

Thank you very much for the interview and a big thanks to all our fans that sent their love and support all those years that we were inactive. Our new album is dedicated to them!

ON THORNS I LAY