Rising from the rugged landscapes of northern Greece, Mallevs channel the ancient spirit of rebellion into a sound that is fierce, melodic, and unapologetically true to heavy metal’s roots. Born in secrecy during the dark days of lockdown, the band’s journey is steeped in myth, history, and the raw determination to create something real. With their debut album “The Hammer” striking hard and deep, we caught up with Mallevs to talk about their origins, the power of sound as revolution, and where the hammer will fall next.

Interview

TheNwothm: Welcome Mallevs! Please introduce yourselves and where you are from?

M: Hi there, we are Yiannis Maleas (bass), Panos Takos (Vocals), Manos Triantafyllou (lead guitar), Tom Trabouras (rhythm guitar), and John Sakkas (drums), serving the traditional heavy metal sound from the land of Greece!

TheNwothm: Think back to the start of the band! How did your form?

M: This is a nice story! It all started when Yiannis Maleas reached out to Panos Takos to discuss about a new music project right after he left his former band “White Tower”. Takos and Maleas come from the same town so it was easy for them to meet in person and discuss about this new venture! It was during the COVID 19 restrictions so the two of them had to sneak out every night and meet under drainage canal bridges or other dark places of the countryside. Within this dystopic scenery with a bottle of whiskey to withstand the winter cold and the night patrol lights flashing in the distance, the idea of Mallevs band was born… Manos joined a bit later, Tom followed and Kostantine Gkialos offered to record the drums for the album “The Hammer”.

TheNwothm: The name Mallevs has a dark, almost medieval ring to it! Where did it come from, and what does it represent to you?

M: Mallevs, pronounced “malleus” is the latin word for the hammer. It literally means “hammer”. It may ring every medieval bell in the Christian-influenced world thanks to the infamous handbook, but here we use it to send another message. A hammer is both a tool and a weapon. With a hammer you smash and destroy and you rebuild again. You need it to hang a picture on the wall or crack a hole on it to see what’s behind. It is the bringer of change. Malleus is a small bone within our ear as well. It is connected to the ear drum and another small bone called “incus” which means “anvil”. We have a drum, a hammer and an anvil installed within our ears to sense sound. So the change we need, the rebuild, comes through sound, through music, through heavy metal…!

TheNwothm: Greece has an intense cultural history, from mythology to revolution. Has your home region in East Macedonia and Thrace influenced your sound or lyrical themes in unexpected ways?

M: Riders and archers of the Macedonian empire used to train a few miles away from our homes. Our forests provided the wood for Sarissa, the famous Macedonian long spear. From the surrounding mountains gold, iron, copper and marble flowing in to build the empire’s wealth and power. The same mountains and forests centuries later helped the guerilla fighters to stand against the Nazi and fascist occupation forces. Every square inch of Greek soil is soaked in the blood of its people and songs of their deeds still echoes in every cubic inch of the air we breathe…!

TheNwothm: Does the modern Greek metal scene feel more like a battleground or a brotherhood?

M: It’s a battleground only in terms of creativity! The past few years the world has been battered by new releases of incredible material from Greek bands! Greece is a small country and we can’t afford unnecessary rivalries between us. “In union we stand” and as long as we support each other here, within the borders, the result will remain obvious outside of it!

TheNwothm: What were the first bands that truly scorched themselves into your soul?

M: Well that’s an easy one. The classic ones, those who shaped the scene! Manowar, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest…. This is how almost everyone starts. A lot of changes in the process, as you grow up and discover new paths in your music journey, but in the end of the day all those paths meet back to the beginning.

TheNwothm: Growing up, did any of you have a metal idol; someone whose poster you had on your wall or tried to imitate on stage?

M: Sure, all of us have, no doubt about that, but let’s play a game instead of just telling you our secret influences. Let’s just let the fans decide, or better find out, what those influences are by taking a closer look on us, in our shows or videos. That would be cool, what do you think?

TheNwothm: Your debut single “Fire and Blade” (2023) dropped like a sword through silence. What was the story behind releasing that track first?

M: Well, we are really happy to hear that our first song had that kind of impact out there! Thank you guys! After all, those crazy secret meetings between Malleas and Takos had finally the time to proceed with the first song. What would that be? Maleas came up with a bunch of ideas, different riffs and melodies of different styles. This song was the first one he gave to Panos for the lyrics to be written. Maleas had battles in mind, swords and horses. Panos then suggested to do it for real battles, for real warriors. DND heroes and Warhammer battlefields were not enough and wouldn’t work for him. He wanted to do it in a way for all the people of the world, who once revolted against an oppressor, to be able to resonate with. This is “Fire and Blade”, a song about peasants who became warriors, who became heroes.

TheNwothm: The 2024 album “The Hammer” has some seriously evocative track titles like “Hydra of Lerna,” “Revenge Comes Riding”… how did you shape the narrative flow of the record?

M: By following our gut, by following our instinct, by trusting our knowledge and life experience, by mixing emotions, reality, information and generally being ourselves. These are the things we talk about when we hang out in the real world. History, mythology, psychology, science, politics, every day issues,  people’s struggles, our personal fears and worries. All these put together, you’ll have stories to narrate for a lifetime!

TheNwothm: What was the toughest track on “The Hammer” to record and which one surprised you in the studio?

M: “Revenge comes Riding” and “Lonely Dancer” where the toughest for the singer. He was sick on the day of their recording, but still had to perform, so he struggled a lot for those two. The surprise came from the “dancer” but not in the studio. It had an unexpected impact on the people, at least in Greece. We didn’t expect that. Although it is not a love song, we thought that it wouldn’t be received in a positive way by the metal fans. Thankfully, it was not as bad as we thought… Hahaha…

TheNwothm: Do you have any favourite tracks you like to play live?

M: Sure, “Revenge comes Riding” is our favourite, “Barricade of Steel” comes next, “Black Abyss” has a good impact on the crowd and of course “Fire and Blade” when we see people start singing the lyrics along!

TheNwothm: Outside of metal, what’s something about each of you that would surprise your fans; guilty pleasure, secret hobby, weird superstition?

M: Outside of metal we are normal people with normal jobs, hanging out with other normal people, trying really hard to pay bills and taxes, provide and blend in. Our guilty pleasure, (not so) secret hobby and weird superstition is heavy metal! It’s a weird superstition, because a day starts and ends well only with some heavy metal on the speaker. It’s a guilty pleasure, due to the fact that we always check out for news or new releases during our lunch break at work, or before… Finally, it’s a secret hobby, since most people, who are not connected in any way with heavy metal, think that being in a band makes you a profit. They believe that having a few albums released, a few gigs arranged and a couple of video clips launched makes you a rich and famous rockstar. As soon as they see you, judging of course from the appearance, they ask ‘’Are you in a band? Do you play the guitar? Are there any video clips? You’re famous!’’, ‘’Oh you must be rich!’’. Of course, they get very disappointed when you explain that this isn’t the way it works and you see yourself as a soldier of the genre. Through this, you express yourself while trying to understand the world and whatever metal means to you anyways… 

So in cases like that

and in order to keep you sane

from the people out of it

Keep it secret… 

Keep it safe…

TheNwothm: Are you vinyl warriors, cassette purists, or do you embrace the digital age for releases?

M: All. We use it all, we like it all and all of these things exist for a reason. Whatever makes metal grow. Vinyl is magical almost a cult. Collectors  adore it and treat it as a piece of art. Cassette is literally a time machine, sending you back to the good old times, full of nostalgia and pure feelings. Digital platforms on the other hand send you to the future. Helps your band to grow a wider fan base and introduces your work to a lot more people! What else should we ask for, an interview or something…?

TheNwothm: What’s your take on the current state of the heavy metal scene; too safe or still savage?

M: We don’t know if it’s savage, but it’s not safe for sure. And maybe keeping a bit of its wildness is the key. It’s heavy metal after all… What’s the point of being safe? What difference would it make to the world?

TheNwothm: Any hints on where the next sonic journey will take Mallevs? Are you already writing the follow-up to “The Hammer?“

M: We wouldn’t say that we are ready for a new album, but definitely we are working on new ideas. Nothing new ready though, nothing complete.

TheNwothm: If you could co-headline with any band in the world, past or present, who’s on the bill with Mallevs?

M: We are afraid that there is not enough space here to include them all…! Dude, name any band that matches to our sound and we’re in! Name any band that doesn’t play the same genre as we do, but makes a hell of a party and we’re in as well!

TheNwothm: Where are you hoping to bring the thunder live? Any countries or cities on your dream tour list?

M: The dream of every band in the world is to play abroad. Why should we differ? Oh, we want it all, man, but we have to start low, be patient and follow our gut. Hope one day we’ll meet you all people out there! 

TheNwothm: What advice would you give to new and upcoming heavy metal bands?

M: Keep the quality of your product high, don’t be afraid to express yourselves, keep it real, keep it true, use your imagination, your knowledge and your emotion combined and just do it…

TheNwothm: How can our readers buy your music and merch?

M: Our merch is available by our record company Floga Records or you can text us directly on our social media.

TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mallevsmetallvm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallevsband/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MallevsMetallvm

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

M: Thanks everyone for trusting and supporting us. Heavy metal rules!