Hailing from Athens, Greece, Stygian Path is an epic heavy metal band born from friendship, passion, and a love for myth and storytelling. Formed in 2022, the five-piece group blends powerful riffs with tales drawn from history and fantasy. With their debut album The Lorekeeper earning praise, the band is ready to make their mark. We caught up with them to talk origins, influences, and the stories behind the music.

Interview

TheNwothm: Greetings! Please can you introduce the band and where you are from?

S.P: Hello Rob! Thanks so much for the invitation! It’s a pleasure to be here! We are Stygian Path, an epic heavy metal band from Athens, Greece. The band consists of five members: Panos Bampilis on the vocals, Manos Karachalios on the bass, Alexandros Adamopoulos on the drums, Dimitris Sdralas on the guitar and Giorgos Machairas on the other guitar. We are all living and working in Athens permanently, so this is where our base is.

TheNwothm: What inspired you to form Stygian Path, and how did the band come together?

S.P: The band was formed in the spring of 2022. We have known each other for many years, from our college days mostly, we are friends, and we have played together in various bands over the years. All previous attempts were unsuccessful, but each of us wanted to compose original music, play in a band and create beautiful memories together. So, it was finally in 2022 when the stars aligned and the right pieces fell together to form a new band under the name Stygian Path. Our musical inspirations vary, however our direction towards a heavy metal sound with epic elements was the common ground, and we decided to build our music on this foundation. And just like that, the story began!

TheNwothm: How did you decide on the name “Stygian Path,” and does it have a special meaning?

S.P: One of our main inspirations is Greek mythology. We are fascinated by the imagination of the people at the time, who created tales trying to combine the need to believe in something on one hand with the need to explain the world on the other. The concepts of life and death could not be absent from these tales, and so the legend was that when someone died, his soul travelled through the river Styx to reach the gates of the Underworld, and the kingdom of Hades. Based on this tale, and our desire to create storytelling songs that will travel the listeners to a path leading to mythic places and plains, we combined both elements and the name Stygian Path was forged. 

TheNwothm: What are some of your biggest musical influences?

S.P: We are all coming from various musical backgrounds and we have been inspired by different bands and genres. Of course, this is something which is changing as we grow up, and we listen to more music everyday. Overall, we have been influenced by many rock and metal genres, like Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, Thrash Metal and many more. The list with our favorite bands includes but it is not limited to Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Dio, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Rapsody, Rotting Christ, Pantera, Savatage, Bathory and the list goes on and on! We admire these bands, we respect the huge legacy they left behind and we are still fans who will go to their concerts and sing their songs like there is no tomorrow! Needless to say, for the bands that are still active, it would be more than a dream to be able to share the stage with them!

TheNwothm: Thinking back, what first got you into music, and when did you start playing your instrument?

S.P: The date goes back to the school days, when we started listening to rock and metal music, and we felt the need to play our favorite songs and mimic our idols. Each of us started at a different age, but approximately it was when we were around 17-18 years old. During those days, there was a constant brainstorming process; we started to find out different rock and metal bands, from unknown to famous ones, one song led to another, we started going to concerts and festivals, so the need to play music grew larger every day. Some of us selected the same instrument, like Giorgos, Dimitris and Manos that started playing the guitar, while the others, Panos and Alex, started playing piano and drums respectively. Later on, Panos picked up singing and Manos started playing the bass as well, and since we all admired bands, it was just a matter of time before we started playing covers of our favorite songs with other friends who became our bandmates.  

TheNwothm: Do you remember the first metal album or song that truly inspired you?

S.P: Yes! As we explained before, each of us started hearing metal differently, so you can get multiple answers to this question. If we have to pick just one album, then it has to be Nightfall in Middle Earth by Blind Guardian. This album was one of the first metal albums we listened to back when we were kids, and the overwhelming atmosphere, powerfull orchestration, and storytelling vibe of the songs about the amazing world of Tolkien, were more than enough to leave us speechless, fuel our imagination and ignite the desire to play music. As soon as we discovered this album, it played on repeat for months, until we knew all the lyrics and the solos by heart, word for word and note for note. These memories are still alive today, when we go to Blind Guardian concerts and we can still sing these songs like when we were 15 years old.

TheNwothm: Are there any Greek myths, legends, or historical events that heavily influence your lyrics?

S.P: There are indeed. Our major influences in terms of lyrics and song writing comes from mythology, history, human native, fantasy and real events. We share a common passion for fantasy, fiction and science fiction, but on the other hand we are always informed about the current situation, news and changes around the world, since they affect us as well. In the specific album, we kick off with the tale of Prometheus, the man who defied the gods and stole the fire from them to help the people to survive. We see this character as a great symbol of hope and solidarity, a message which is applicable even today. Moving to the song Rhapsody XXII: The Eagle and the Lion, we were mainly influenced by the myth of Troic War, and the epic battle of Achilles (eagle) with Hector (lion), but we approached it from Hector’s standpoint. Instead of presenting Achilles as the mighty hero, we tell the story of Hector, a brave warrior who died defending his country and his family from conquerors. Finally, in the song Unholy Land, it can be easily identified that we drew our ideas from the historical events of the Crusades, when thousands of soldiers were sent to Jerusalem under alleged religious cause, and they died in vain, since in reality the reasons were the same as every war, which is money and power. Once again, the references to meaningless wars and meaningless deaths can be found today in the modern world, so we think it’s important to remember the past and learn from the previous mistakes.    

TheNwothm: How has the metal scene in Athens influenced your sound?

S.P: We are fortunate to live in a country with a great history of metal bands from different genres, and a big quantity of concerts and festivals which are organized every year. From the world of underground with new bands popping up all the time, to more famous and established bands, like Rotting Christ, Firewind, Battleroar, SpitFire and many more, we follow the steps of the domestic scene and try to learn from them as much as we can. We have been listening to these bands for many years and our sound is close to the epic heavy metal scene from Greece in the 2000s, but we try to be unique and add our own elements in our music. The main influence of the Greek metal scene on our band is that they have raised the bar really high, in terms of songwriting and performance, so we want to dedicate the necessary amount of time and effort to be worthy of this level. Our ambition is to grow and improve ourselves, so we can offer a high quality show to the audience, and as required by the level of the domestic scene.  

TheNwothm: Your first single, Rhapsody XXI: The Eagle and the Lion, was released in 2023—what was the story behind that track?

S.P: This song was released in early 2023, as a live demo which was produced at Dark Sun studio in Greece, the place where we conduct our rehearsals as well. This song was written collectively by all of us, starting from the opening melody written by Dimitris. We sat down together in an apartment one afternoon, started jamming the core idea, and suddenly a full song was developed within the same day. As soon as the music was created, Panos jumped in with the concept and the lyrics about the battle of Hector and Achilles as we explained before. The concept matched perfectly with the atmosphere of the music as an epic heroic tale, so we kept everything and the song was finalized. We decided to record it at that time as a live demo version, by recording all instruments live, and the vocals separately. As soon as it was published, the reaction was positive, something which inspired us to continue our songwriting process until the full album was completed. Of course, the song in the album has many differences against the live demo one, since during the official production of the album, many elements were changed with the guidance of our producer George Emmanuel and the final outcome was improved dramatically. We hope that you agree!

TheNwothm: Now that your new album “The Lorekeeper” is out, how has the reception been from fans and critics?

S.P: So far, the reaction has been overwhelming! We have received many great reviews from websites, magazines, blogs and podcasts as well as many supportive comments from the audience! The support is also noticeable in the numbers of the physical and digital distribution, which show that our music has been embraced by people all over the world.  Also, we got an amazing feedback after our live presentation of our album on March 9th, when we played in Athens as a support band of the Italian epic heavy metal pioneers Domine, a night that we will remember forever. Overall, the last month since the album was released has been amazing, we receive positive comments everyday, and we can’t put into words our happiness and joy by this tremendous support! It acts like a booster for us to continue growing and evolving as artists and as a band and we hope to see everyone on the road in one of our shows! 

TheNwothm: What themes and stories does “The Lorekeeper” explore?

S.P: The album is a collection of different stories and it was the inspiration to travel the audience to a different place and time in each song. The origin of the themes is Greek  mythology, history, human nature and fantasy. Specifically, the song Prometheus is about the legend of the man who defied the gods and stole the fire from them, while Tides of Time explores the psychology of a man who is facing death and recalls the events and memories of his whole life. Rhapsody XXII is the story of Hector who died outside the walls of Troy to defend his country. The Wanderer is a fantasy tale of a ranger who is travelling around the world during times of war, and Unholy Land is about the vanity of the holy wars. Finally, the tale of Le Château du Deuil describes a man hated by the word doomed to live alone due to his appearance. The different concepts act like a vale to disguise feelings, thoughts, beliefs and opinions of the band, so within this variety of subjects and themes in the album, the audience is free to choose which one they like.  

TheNwothm: How do you approach storytelling in your lyrics?

S.P: We have always been fond of bands and songs with story-driven lyrics and concept albums, so it was natural for us to follow a similar path. It is important for us that each song can be a short story that goes from a starting point to the end, with an interesting route which follows the evolution of the character(s) and builds the world around him. We create the music first, so the concept of each song is determined by the atmosphere that the riffs and the melodies are building. When the music is composed, we listen carefully to it, and try to imagine characters and worlds that could fit into it. As soon as the concept is finalized, then we try to think about the story of the character(s), his journey, his thoughts and motives and final goal. When the story comes from mythology or history, then it is already set, but then the story is functional, then we need to create it from scratch. After the story is finalized, the lyrics are created following the vocal melodies. Sometimes this process is quick, but in other cases it takes more time, since it’s not always easy to find the necessary storytelling flow in words. At the final stage, we will listen to the full song multiple times to ensure if the lyrics make sense and if the story is flowing smoothly, creates interest and builds up tension and excitement. 

TheNwothm: What was the biggest challenge in writing and recording “The Lorekeeper?”

S.P: We can easily say that the biggest challenge we faced was our inexperience with recording a full length album. Although we have a great musical chemistry and the songwriting process was completed in a short period of time, we did not have the technical capabilities of recording it. It takes a different amount of practice and dedication to prepare yourself to record an album, where every detail matters and the execution should be perfect, so by the time we had finished the compositions, we still had a long way ahead of us. We spent months rehearsing the songs and practising at home in our free time, so we started the recordings 6 months after. Additionally, due to our daily jobs and other duties, the recording took almost 4 months with many sessions in the evenings and weekends, which was extremely challenging for us since it was our first time doing something like that. Nevertheless, we would not change a thing, since the final outcome is exactly as per our expectations and through this challenge we improved and learned a lot. It’s always more satisfying when you achieve something which is beyond our comfort zone and above your current capabilities!

TheNwothm: Can you walk us through your songwriting process?

S.P: Sure! We all enjoy writing music and expressing our feelings and emotions through that. While the lyrics are mainly written by Panos and Alex, the music is composed by everyone. The way that we work is that someone brings a core idea, which could be a full song or just a melody or a riff, we play it together, and then everyone is contributing ideas until a full song is written. There are similarities and differences in our musical influences, so we try to combine all ideas together to form a homogenous song with interesting elements. When the music is ready, then Panos or Alex work on the vocal melodies and concept of the song, and finally the lyrics are written. We don’t put boundaries and rules about which direction the song should go, like specific formula, song length etc. We just follow our instincts and let the music and ideas flow freely until we feel that the song is ready. Finally, during the production process, additional elements like sound effects, orchestrations are added, based on the atmosphere and the concept of each song. 

TheNwothm: Moving on, what do you like to do when you’re not making music?

S.P: Each of us has different hobbies and interests apart from our main passion which is writing and playing music. We enjoy exercise and sports, like going to the gym and boxing, we like watching movies and series, reading books, going to the cinema, playing board and video games, hanging out with friends and last but not least going to concerts of course!

TheNwothm: What’s one thing about you that fans might be surprised to learn?

S.P: We are not sure if they will be surprised, but one interesting thing that we can think of is the fact that the creation of the specific band was due to a series of many different events and a huge portion of luck. Three of our members, Panos, Alex and Dimitris played together in another band called Emerald Dream for more than 2 years, having released one album and one EP. As soon as the EP was finalized and published, including a video clip of one of the songs, all three left the band for personal reasons and started discussions about their musical future steps. At that time, Manos was playing in another two bands, and we hadn’t spoken to him for years, and finally Giorgos had stopped playing music for approximately 9 years. During the discussions of Panos, Alex and Dimitris about a potential new band, Giorgos expressed his interest to join and play again with his friends just for fun, so we started the rehearsals covering the songs of Emerald Dream. After looking for a bass player for some months, a dear friend proposed Manos to us as a potential solution, who had just stopped playing in one of the two bands, so we reached out to him and he accepted. And thus, the Stygian Path was created!     

TheNwothm: Are you open to signing with a label in the future, or do you prefer staying independent?

S.P: We are not independent. Our album was released by a Greek label called Eat Metal Records. It is one of the most historic labels in the country, with a big number of released albums within the last 20 years, and with constant organization of concerts and festivals. It is well known for the festival Into Battle which is performed every year in Athens with bands from many countries, and it is dedicated to heavy metal. We wanted to partner with a label for the release of this album to help us reach a broader audience and have some guidance in the world of the music business, and so far the collaboration with the label has been amazing. Grigoris provided significant assistance in the physical distribution of the album, promotion, advice and many other things, and we can’t thank him enough. Based on the experience so far, we are confident that this partnership will continue to grow stronger and stronger!

TheNwothm: Are there any plans for live shows or tours in 2025?

S.P: Yes of course! So far, we have played 2 shows in Athens, one in March and one in April, but we are planning to continue to play live as much as possible not only within Athens but also in other places. We are in discussion about a tour in five cities in Greece within spring and summer, another show in Athens in September and two shows in Cyprus and Germany. So, stay tuned because amazing things are about to come!

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

S.P: Our album is available on digital physical format (CD) and along with our merch they can be purchased from our Bandcamp profile (please see link below). Additionally, the physical album is also available on the website of our label Eat Metal Records (https://www.eatmetalrecords.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=30092) and on other websites of music stores in Greece, Germany and Italy. In case someone requires further clarifications, please feel free to contact us directly through our social media. We would be happy to meet you and assist any way we can!

TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?

S.P: Everyone is welcome to follow the band on our social media, like Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify and any other streaming service of your choosing. Our album is available on all digital platforms, and all the news of the band is published in our social media profiles. We welcome you to follow the path!

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

S.P: We would like to thank you for the opportunity to conduct this great interview and introduce ourselves to your readers! You are doing an amazing job of providing a platform for new bands to present their work and this interview was no exception. Keep up the great work! We hope to meet you and everyone else on the road! Horns up! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StygianPath

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stygianpath_band/

Bandcamp: https://stygianpath.bandcamp.com/

Eat Metal Records: https://www.eatmetalrecords.com/