Interview: Efthimis Karadimas (NIGHTFALL)

Hello Efthimis, how are you? Where are you at the moment?

Hello Nicko. I am in the rainy Athens right now.

I had the pleasure to meet you on your amazing gig supporting Cradle Of Filth on 08th April 2011. The band did an amazing show. And what is the feedback from the gig, are you happy?

It is always good to perform. I totally enjoyed it.

I had the chance to meet you only before the show and I saw how nervous you were, and how you were wondering about the fans reaction.... Well we all know that NIGHTFALL are playing quite rarely, but no matter that you were perfectly prepared for the show. For how long are you planning this performance and do you think that we can see you much more often live on stage... or even on tour?

I am a man of control; having everything ran smooth is my duty. Or at least this is the way I cope with such situations. The usual problem in shows is that you have to fight gently with those organizing it to get the best out of it. Otherwise you may end up with slack sound or funny lights. The invitation to play as co-headliners with COF came about 5 weeks before.

Your performance on 8th April was presentations for the new members of the band...Can you tell us a little about each one of them and how they ended as musicians in NIGHTFALL?

Cool characters and into the spirit of Nightfall. That's enough nowadays. Musicianship is not that rare anymore. There are many well skilled guitarists, drummers, etc out there. What matters more to me is the character.

You forgot to tell us about one of the most important band members...- yourself.. At first sight you don't look like the common metal head and as far as I know, people won't meet you in the metal bars or on other metal gigs. In the same time you are leader of a legendary Greek band. How can you manage to live such double? And why is like that.

It is true that I don't fit to the "metal" stereotype that much. However, I used to spend most of my life in these metal places back when things were new to my eyes. It was the effort to create our sound, our music, and stuff that shook me all day and all night back then. These days are over. And that's for good. Eventually I became more spiritual and selective and now I prefer listening music home, or in my car and in the studio, as well as reading history and philosophy books and enjoy fruitful discussions with clever people.

Greece now has a lot of great metal bands, what are your relationships with other bands like ROTTING CHRIST, SEPTICFLESH, FIREWIND, INNACTIVE MESSIAH, W.E.B etc?

Easy - like a Sunday morning, as Faith No More used to sing ;-) I guess we are the most philosophical and underground thinking of them all. If we all were in a band, Nightfall would be the bassist giving the rhythm with no much talk or cheery attitude, standing in his dark space near the drummer. A steady value

Perhaps few people know that a lot of these bands current or ex members have been also playing in NIGHTFALL or there careers started from there. Unfortunately some of them forgot to mention that in their biographies. Do you feel offended by that?

Naaah. Always expect small things from small people Nicko.

Can we say that NIGHTFALL like primary school for Greek musicians?

No, because they know how to play when they enter the band. On one hand I am proud of having played and introduce some cool musicians in the worldwide scene but on the other I am strong enough not to compromise with their will when they want to become more popular and commercial in terms of sales and shows than I chose to be. So our ways part.

Why NIGHTFALL is constantly suffering from lineup changes?

Meeting new people, hearing and practicing new ideas, and creating interesting stuff is not "suffering" to me. It is a blessing. After all, gone are the days of the bands with members totally devoted on them. The scene now is full of projects and musicians who play in 2-3 bands simultaneously.

Judging by the lineup changes its hard for you to find people who share your thoughts and ideas like your longtime band mate Michalis "Mike" Galiatsos (SNOWBLIND). Why did he quit NIGHTFALL and where is he now?

Those were totally different times. I think the revolution of internet has proved of catalytic influence to everybody. Nowadays you get to know dozens of great musicians who share common ideas – at least until the opposite is proved. Mike wanted to pursue a career with Snowblind I think.

Let's take a look at NIGHTFALL's last album "Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants" Tell us what is Astron Black and who are the Thirty Tyrants.

It is an album singing about human race struggle to sustain through time and space for ever.

Is there a concept or story behind the album?

The tragedy of always being in motion to avoid being sucked by the vast blackness of space is the subject concept.

From where you get your inspiration and what inspired you for this album?

Life itself as we experience it. There is no greater source of inspiration. Age is another aspect too. The older you grow you realize that some things never change. And that gives birth to new emotions and fears.

Again we can feel doom elements which is more or less typical for NIGHTFALL, but how can you explain them for this specific album?

I don't think I am able to explain them, frankly speaking. It came out that way, and yes, you are right, doomy stuff has always been a major characteristic of the band. Despite some times we play lots faster than a typical "doom" band, the essence of it remains there in melodies, in riffs, and in lyrics.

In "Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants" we can feel much more melody and mystic, atmospheric moments, but lets be honest: This is not something unknown for the Greek bands.. we find quite often the mystics of the Greek music and culture. How can you explain that?

Greece stands between East and West. The culture of that unique combination becomes listenable to almost all music acts coming from this side of the world. Further more, Eastern mysticism is much deeper than Western one and affects life widely. There are legends and superstitions maintaining their capacity throughout centuries here and once a child rose that way it rarely frees his/her life ater.

Tell us about the artwork of the "Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants" what it represents? We can see the Greek element at first sight. Is there a story behind it and who is the artist?

Travis Smith is the man who painted that beautiful cover. I wanted the trireme and the sea to symbolize the motion and the exploration spirit in all levels of mankind and history. It could have been another type of ship, but I preferred Trireme due to our origin.

Before the show on 08.04.2011, you played on WACKEN 2005 "Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants" was released in 2010 – 6 years after your last album... Why we hear for NIGHTFALL so rarely and what actually happened with NIGHTFALL after 2004?

For many a band is obliged to release albums almost annually, to play almost everywhere, and to create a buzz around their names. In Nightfall's world things are much simpler; when you have nothing important to say stay silent. This is what we did. Art is not coming out just like that. Unless it is a product of entertainment aiming to offer you some jolly time, which in our case is not. You have to fill your generators with fuel, with inspiration, in order to produce the energy of creation.

Pointing out those important moments in NIGHTFALL's history ... What did changed through the years. Can you compare the gigs back then in the 90's with your last shows and also the albums and writing process.. did things changed in good way?

I like that fact Nightfall is a live organism that evolves through time. Of course there bad and difficult moments, quite as many as good ones. Separating one from the other would be pointless as one is linked to the other and altogether compose what Nightfall is.

Do you think that a LIVE DVD with a lot of special guests like friends and ex band members would be an excellent add to NIGHTFALL's discography...and how do you see the band's future.

It would be interesting what you say. Time shall be the sole master of our fate though.

Lets go back to your gig supporting CRADLE OF FILTH (08.04.2011). Why did you played only songs from the last album?

That was the main condition we set to play there. When we do a show including older material we will have to take care of many things and be ready to take a good dive in our past.

Something that I noticed and was commented by fans on the gig was the feeling that NIGHTFALL were the headliners of the show.. You had everything – merchandize, backdrop, video support, appearance. CRADLE OF FILTH were unprepared. How can you explain that?

It was a co headlining show right since the beginning. There was no supporting act. Nevertheless, it's only music, so no need to bother who came on stage first or second, whatsoever

Is there a formula for success that you can reveal to our readers.. maybe some of them have ambitions to be musicians?

Set a clear target right from the start and never pay any attention to the Sirens thereafter. If you wanna do it for the money, do it for the money; if you wanna do it for the glory, do it for the glory; if you wanna only express your feelings through art, just do that. Having a clear picture in your mind of what you want to achieve is everything.

What is your life you are living outside NIGHTFALL...?

An ambitious and ethical life whose part is Nightfall.

Can you give some message to your fans in Bulgaria and tell your opinion about our site.

Very nice effort. We thank you all for the appreciation! Stay true.

Thank you very much ... I hope that we will meet again really soon

All the best to you too Nicko!