FLAMES

“The album is red – and hot enough to melt steel.”

“’Thrashin’ Beer’ didn’t fit us at first, but it turned out perfect.”

“Past, present, and future – that’s the force driving us.”

“This isn’t a comeback. We already did that three years ago.”

“No one influences us. We aim to create something with its own identity.”

“Don’t rush – you have more time than you think.”

The legendary Greek thrashers FLAMES return to the forefront with a brand-new album, ‘Frequency Of Illusion’, that awakens memories of the golden age of Greek metal while firmly looking toward the future.
Armed with endless energy and decades of experience, the band presents a record that serves both as a tribute to their past and a starting point for a new era.
In this interview, FLAMES speak openly about their evolution, and what it means to carry the history of an entire scene on their shoulders.
Your new album is being released after a long creative break.
What was the moment or reason that made you realize that now is the right time to create a new record?
“Three years isn’t really that long since the previous one, if you consider that we hadn’t released an album for 26 years before ‘Resurgence’. The reason is always the same: having something different to present.”
If you had to describe the new album with a smell, a color, and a temperature, what would they be and why?
“Red color and a temperature that melts steel…”
Which elements or ideas from the ’80s and ’90s – those you embodied back then – did you absolutely want to keep on this album, and which ones did you consciously leave behind?
“No one really thought about something like that. We simply play the way it naturally comes out and satisfies us. We have elements from the past but also new ones… but nothing is deliberate.”
How does it feel to return after so many years and see a scene where retro-thrash, modern thrash, and extreme metal all coexist?
“We existed before terms like ‘extreme’, ‘modern’, etc. even appeared… For us, it continues to be just metal. Whatever anyone likes is perfectly fine.”
Was there a song during the production that took a completely different direction from what you originally imagined?
“‘Thrashin’ Beer’. I think in the beginning it didn’t really suit us, but in the end it turned out perfect…”
Greece has a long history, mythology, political turbulence, and a strong cultural identity.
What typical Greek elements – conscious or unconscious – find their way into your music?
“Hmm… we don’t really have many Greek elements in our music. Unconsciously, we used a 9/8 rhythm somewhere in one track, but not on purpose.”
If you could send a creative or personal warning to your younger selves from the early FLAMES era, what would it be?
“Don’t rush, because you have plenty of time ahead of you…”
After so many years in the scene, what is emotionally more difficult for you:
releasing a comeback album or entering the studio as newcomers?
“There’s nothing to discuss here… there is no difficulty. We pour our soul into it and we’re fully present. Our mindset isn’t different from the old days. And this is not a comeback… we already did that three years ago.”
Which band or artist inspired you during this phase of your career, even though you didn’t expect it?
“No one influences us… our effort is to create something with its own identity.”
How has the dynamic within the band changed – musically and personally – from your early years until today?
“Musically, we’re better technically… and on a personal level, our bond with each other has grown stronger.”
Imagine you had to choose three words that describe the driving force of FLAMES today.
Which would they be?
“Past, present, and future…”
What misunderstanding about the band would you like to clear up once and for all?
“I don’t know if there is a misunderstanding surrounding the band, but if there is, we’re here…”
If you had to describe the new album as a film genre, which would it be?
And which scene would ideally depict the opening track?
“A horror movie… someone being chased, but fighting back and winning…”
The return of FLAMES is not simply the revival of a historic name;
it is proof that a band with true vision, perseverance, and faith in its music can remain creatively alive for decades.
With their new album, FLAMES are not relying on their past – they are building upon it.
And if one thing becomes clear from this conversation, it’s that the new era of FLAMES has only just begun – and their flame burns hotter than ever…
Fok ‘bs’