Hardcore metallers Infected Rain visited for the first time Athens - Greece last September, a remarkable show we still remember. (Read full review -here-)
On February 9, 2024 Infected Rain returned with their massive sixth modern progressive metal opus, TIME, via Napalm Records!
Read below, our interview with frontwoman Lena Scissorhands - which was made after their show in Greece and get to know Infected Rain better, as they have many interesting plans for the future.
INFECTED RAIN online:
Rockoverdose: So, Lena, welcome to RockOverdose Greece, how are you?
L: Hi, doing good. I only got back home from touring, just doing home stuff for a little bit.
Rockoverdose: I suppose you were missing for a long period of time.
L: Yeah, this summer tour was pretty long and it actually was spread throughout the entire summer and September. We did have two small breaks with the band where we actually did film new material, worked on new material for the band cause we had to deliver a new album. But yeah the shows were kinda spread out: 46 shows on tour it’s a lot.
Rockoverdose: Yeah. So I would like to congratulate you for your performance here on Athens.
L: Thank you! Were you there?
Rockoverdose: No, sadly I wasn’t able to join because I was far away from Athens, I live in northern Greece, but I wish I could be able to join.
L: That’s okay.
Rockoverdose: What was the feedback you got from your first show in front of a Greek audience?
L: We loved it actually. We had a few small, unexpected moments before the show unfortunately, but this happens when you’re in a new city. Other than that, the show was pretty great; the location was very nice, people that worked there, the crew, the venue was very very nice and helpful and understanding and the audience was great, very supportive. Although it was our first time playing in Greece there were some people that were prepared, and I mean like prepared prepared; they already had their merchandise, and they knew the lyrics of the songs. And you know that warms the musicians’ hearts, that’s for sure. It’s always challenging playing in front of a new audience, you never know what to expect.
Rockoverdose: Of course. And I presume this was better than what you expected.
L: It was very good, yes.
Rockoverdose: So, if I’m not mistaken you also visited a Greek Island?
L: Yeah, right after the show in Athens and because this was the final show on this tour, I decided to take a small vacation because I haven’t had the time to have a vacation for many years now. I have a friend in Athens she provided some suggestions and advice about what locations are worth to visit, what places are worth to visit and specifically what to eat. It’s always easier when you have someone to guide you, so used that opportunity while I was still there to have a small vacation. I only visited one island, but it was beautiful.
Rockoverdose: And what was the thing you liked most about our country?
L: Many things to be honest. I find that it has both beautiful landscapes and a lot of antique in the country, mostly because of all the ruins and everything historical which is still preserved and I had a moment to explore, so that part a lot and I also liked the cuisine, which was very organic; it had a lot of vegetables and fruits in my case because I’m vegan and in the case of the people I was with they were also super happy with the food because it was seafood right out of the sea and everything was from people that catch them and don’t overfish and don’t do it in industrial quantities for stores, they just do it for their own small family business, which felt very authentic and very pure.
Rockoverdose: That’s great. So, you live in Moldova?
L: Actually, I no longer live in Moldova, I now live in the USA. I was born in Moldova though. Although I have lived in a lot of countries.
Rockoverdose: But you didn’t grow up in Moldova, but in the USA, correct?
L: No, not really. I grew up mainly in Moldova and then I spent 4-5 years in Armenia, because that’s where my father’s from. I also spent my teenage years in Italy, I did high school and university there, so I’ve lived in a lot of countries. I don’t know what part of my life you are talking about because when I moved to Armenia I was 8 or 9 and I lived there for a while, and then I went back to Moldova and I lived there for a while, and then I went to Italy and I lived there for a while, then went back to Moldova again and lived there for a while and now I live in America so it’s kinda like a back and forth mix.
Rockoverdose: Oh, I see. So, the music of Infected Rain is special. How would you describe your sound and how did the band evolve over the years?
L: I don’t think that’s question that you should ask a musician; that’s a question you should ask the fans. I don’t think musicians try purposedly and specifically try to remain in the same genre. So when you’re asking me to describe it, I can’t just put it in one category. The music is so diverse and it could belong in different categories, in different genres and subgenres. Same goes for the evolution of the band; how can a band member tell about the evolution of the band if he was part of it? I think that a fan that follows the band for a long time can give a better answer to that question. For example, do you know what it’s like when you have friends you haven’t seen for a while and they come by and you say: “Oh my God, your child grew so fast!”. You don’t notice that in your own child because you see it every day. So this is the same for me; I compare my band to a child, because I was there when it was created, I was there from the beginning till now and I saw it grow, yes, I saw it evolve, yes, but not in a way the listeners and the fans do. It’s a different opinion and perspective, that’s why I find it hard to answer this question although it’s a simple one. It just wouldn’t be true if I said that “This specific thing is the evolution”. Many things evolve, even things that people don’t notice but what matters in the end is the bigger picture.
Rockoverdose: From my perspective, I think the band has grown up, it has gained a lot of fans and it keeps getting bigger.
L: Yeah, and that’s the goal of every musician; to evolve and gain a bigger audience and hopefully touch more hearts with his music. That’s the goal and it’s going in that direction; we noticed our followers growing up, we’re noticing how many people coming to the shows, the sold-out shows, the feedback at festivals, we see that through many many things.
Rockoverdose: So, you have a new album coming next year. Would you like to share any details about it yet?
L: No actually (laughs). I can’t really discuss this yet, it’s still very fresh. I can’t even tell you the actual premier date yet but what I can tell you is that it’s gonna be out in the beginning of next year, it’s our album number 6, and it’s our very first album with our new band member, our bassist Alice who joined this year. We had a small change in the lineup this year and that’s all I can tell you for now. However, there will be some music coming out before the album drops so we will be sharing some songs from the album, along with music videos we filmed during that summer.
Rockoverdose: So now, that makes two women in the band, you and Alice.
L: Correct, right now Infected Rain is consisted of two females and two males.
Rockoverdose: That’s great. So, what is the process of writing an album of yours? Who writes the songs, the lyrics and the riffs?
L: I write the lyrics for every single song I’m involved in, unless it’s a featuring, so I’m talking about stuff that’s happening outside Infected Rain. I compose the melody for the vocals as well and I record the vocals. Now when it comes to the music itself, the main product comes from Vidic, our guitarist and Eugene, our drummer. They’re putting things together and for now that’s how it goes because Alice is still very new. The main composer in the band has always been Vidic.
Rockoverdose: What are your future plans about the band? Any news about the band?
L: We have plenty of news that’s already out there; we have a US tour coming which actually starts this month, a big North American tour with 38 shows, which we’re very excited about. After that, we’ve also announced a really cool event that we will be attending for the very first time: it’s a metal cruise called “70000 tons of metal”. It’s a really cool event that I always wanted to be part of because of how awesome the journey is, being on water for an entire week, with so many fans and bands hanging out together with almost no separation and this is really really cool. So we’re going to be doing that in January and our album is going to come out after that as well and we have also announced another European tour with Driving Force and Amaranthe.
Rockoverdose: That’s great news. Would you like to send a message to your fans worldwide, and especially those here in Greece?
L: I would only like to say “EFCHARISTO” for everything in Greece, thank you for your kindness and thank you for your support in our first show and we invite you to always stay tuned because we will be coming back to Greece, hopefully in another festival or during another tour, we loved it very much and we can’t wait to play in front of Greek audience again. Keep supporting the bands you love!
Rockoverdose: And we also hope to see you again here in Greece. Thank you for joining us today at rockoverdose.gr.
L: Thanks for having me, I will be seeing you around next time!
Interview: Zisis Petkanas
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