By Giorgos Triantafyllidis
Like shadows rising from the depths of an endless winter, Black Winter return. With a new album in the works and a comeback show scheduled for January 3, 2026, at Skyland in Larissa alongside Yoth Iria and Medusa’s Wrath, they kick off the new year at Metal Invader with a substantial interview well worth reading. The Greek black/death scene is alive—and Black Winter are here to shake it once more.
Let’s go back to 1999/2000 in Larissa… and introduce yourselves to the Metal Invader audience. What was the inspiration behind forming the band by Astrous, Gasgorth, Demonith, Atheist, and Zephyrus?
Greetings to Metal Invader and its readers. Looking back to Larissa in 1999/2000, we see that Black Winter were born out of a small group of friends who spent endless hours listening to—and trying to play—the music that had marked us deeply. Our main inspiration came from the Norwegian black metal sound, but also from the Greek scene, with bands such as Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia, and others, who showed us that serious and authentic creation and expression in extreme sound could exist here as well.
The name Black Winter came to us on a freezing winter night and immediately expressed what we were looking for, as it is dark, cold, and heavy—just like the sound we sought. This shared need for creation and evolution is what led to the formation of the band and remains the essence of Black Winter to this day.
What were your first steps in the scene, and how did you end up performing with bands such as Emperor, Marduk, Septicflesh, Nightfall, and Naer Mataron?
One could say our first steps were chaotic. Imagine a group of 14–15-year-old kids with a pure love for black metal and a lot of ambition. DIY rehearsals, minimal equipment, cassette tapes, vinyl records, and fanzines changing hands feverishly, like sacred objects. There was no internet in the form we know today, at least not then, and living in the provinces made things even more difficult.
We were by no means ready musicians; we learned through rehearsals, failed attempts, experimentation, and the gradual evolution of our sound.
Over time, and through a lot of hard work, we earned respect and recognition within the underground scene, which led to appearances alongside major names like those you mentioned and many others, as well as numerous headline shows and concerts all over Greece. At the time, it felt like “a dream come true,” but in reality it was nothing more than the result of years of effort and consistency.
When you are so absorbed in what you are doing, you don’t have time to look around or realize the magnitude of what is happening. You just keep going. And that’s exactly what we did.
To be fair, we haven’t actually played with Emperor—though we would love to, unless you have different information! It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened. Around twenty years ago, the Greek edition of Metal Hammer printed an advertisement for a show of ours with 1349 and Watain without the organizing company having contacted us beforehand for any negotiations, and we were forced to reach out to them ourselves.
Which performance stands out to you, and why?
Each of our performances is special for different reasons, but if we focus on the same period, our first shows in Volos were the ones that marked us the most. For some reason, the city had an exceptionally vibrant and open-minded extreme music audience that embraced us immediately, from the very first moments.
This is even more significant if one considers the well-known informal “hostility” between neighboring cities, partly due to the long-standing rivalry carried by local football teams and their supporters. Nevertheless, in Volos all of that seemed to remain outside our reality. There was respect, intensity, and a genuine connection through music.
We would dare say that this was the place where we were essentially “established” for the first time. As the saying goes, no one becomes a prophet in their own land, and Volos was the city that gave us that first authentic and enthusiastic validation.
How do you define your style as Black/Death Metal, and what influences have shaped your sound over the years?
Our sound revolves around the black metal idiom. Of course, there are influences from other genres that function complementarily, but they never determined our direction. The icy atmosphere of black metal and dark melodies are always present.
The influences were many and inevitable, but from the beginning we were interested in creating something authentic rather than adopting the forms of another band. Melody, emotion, and chaotic tremolo riffs have accompanied Black Winter throughout our entire journey. We would like to believe that over all these years we have left our own mark on the underground black metal scene and shaped our own identity.
Our sound naturally evolved, just as we evolved as people. There were many difficulties and ups and downs over the years, but we have returned more mature and determined than ever.
Which are your main albums and demos from the 2000–2010 period, and what do you remember from the recording process?
From the 2000–2010 period, Dismal Fields of Nihilism was perhaps the release that helped us mature and establish ourselves within the scene the most. It was recorded in just two days at Nemesis Studio in Kavala, with extremely limited time and budget, but with a strong need to present a sound that stood professionally and expressed us meaningfully at that moment.
It was the first time we felt that what we were creating could go beyond the narrow limits of our city and be taken seriously. We will never forget that we sold part of our record collections to raise the money we thought we needed, nor that on the last day we were literally planning to sleep on the street—something that often happened when we played outside our city due to financial constraints.
We also vividly remember that other demo bands of the time thought we were joking when we played them the recording, which for us was an indication that the result sounded more mature than what they expected from peer bands of that period.
The recording process taught us a lot, both technically and creatively, and formed the foundation upon which our next steps were built. In this context, the recordings of In Cosmic Installation and later Hyperion’s Apocalypse, which were included in Cyclones of Infinite Dimensions, were the most decisive stages of our evolution.
At that point, we consciously moved away from previous forms and began forging the style we serve to this day, both musically and lyrically. These recordings were not simply subsequent releases, but clear turning points: a more structured sound, a clearer identity and thematic focus, and an overall more mature understanding of what Black Winter means.
Do you have new material in the works after so many years of inactivity, and how has your sound evolved?
We have nine tracks that will be included on the album, which is one step away from final mixing, so they will soon see the light of day. Our style can be said to have crystallized with the 2015 Virtual Vortex EP, when most of the album was composed. It has a black metal foundation but is also contemporary, rhythmic, heavy, and melodic, with influences extending into thrash or death in certain parts—and we dare say that the Greek stamp is clearly present, while avoiding any kind of cliché.
What led you to reactivation and the comeback show, and what does the January 3, 2026 show at Skyland with Yoth Iria and Medusa’s Wrath mean to you? How are you preparing?
The reactivation of Black Winter was not sudden, but the result of an inner need that matured over time. After a long period of lower activity, we realized that we missed the creative intensity and that we still had a lot to express. For us, time does not function linearly; we feel that we are continuing the journey from where we left off, but with greater experience and a clearer direction.
The comeback show on January 3, 2026, at Skyland in Larissa is of particular importance. We are returning to the stage of our hometown, in front of people who have known us for years, which makes it emotionally charged. The lineup with Yoth Iria, whom we deeply respect for their history and atmosphere, and Medusa’s Wrath, who represent a dynamic side of the contemporary scene, turns the night into a small celebration of the Greek underground.
Preparation involves intensive rehearsals and absolute focus. We are working on a setlist that combines older material with tracks from the upcoming album, aiming for a solid and meaningful live sound. This comeback means returning to the stage with a new perspective, without losing the essence of Black Winter.
How do you view the current Black/Death scene in Greece, and which band inspires you the most today?
The current Black/Death scene in Greece is truly exciting and is in one of its most creative and vibrant phases. There is strong passion, consistency, and substantial work, evident both in the music and in the attitude of the bands. Many Greek extreme metal bands have now earned international respect, not through trends or shortcuts, but through authenticity, persistence, and love for what they create.
What sets the scene apart is that it is not afraid to evolve while maintaining its own character and identity. There is a healthy balance between respect for the roots and a willingness to experiment, which keeps the genre alive and relevant.
As for the band that has inspired us the most and continues to do so, it can be none other than Rotting Christ. Their timeless journey, dedication to their vision, and ability to evolve without losing their identity are a point of reference for us. Their consistency and the quality of their music are among the reasons why the Greek scene enjoys such great international respect.
What are your future plans after this live show—new album or more concerts?
Both are in our plans, with the main priority being the completion and release of our first full-length album. It is something we take very seriously and into which we invest all our creative energy, as circumstances allow.
At the same time, we want to do selected live appearances—not merely for the sake of presence, but where it truly makes sense.
On Dismal Fields of Nihilism you had guests such as Bob Katsionis—how did they contribute to the final mix, and what do you remember from those collaborations?
The collaborations on Dismal Fields of Nihilism arose organically, through contacts and shared live appearances in the scene. We met Bob while playing live together at concerts with Septicflesh and Nightfall, and at the time it seemed like a good idea for the demo to open with an instrumental intro by someone who could support it meaningfully. Thus Orchestral Indolence was created, which he wrote and performed entirely on keyboards.
At the time it felt impressive and “big” by our standards; with the distance of time, however, we recognize that this sound has not aged ideally. Nevertheless, it remains a piece we are proud of, because it accurately captures the phase, ambitions, and mindset we had at that time.
On Tormenting in Hades, the lyrics were written by Ilias Siatounis of Unholy Archangel, who for years has run Unholy Distro and—much to our surprise back then—had expressed his admiration for our first demo. After an invitation from our then-vocalist, he agreed to participate, while on Hellenic War a lyrical approach influenced by his style was attempted by the latter.
From today’s perspective, however, we must say that the themes and language used in these tracks in no way express the band’s current lineup. None of the current members had knowledge or awareness of the ideological weight carried at the time by certain expressions or references. We believe in artistic freedom and in the space that provocation can have within art, but some things, with experience and the distance of time, we now consider somewhat distasteful.
Nevertheless, we do not erase our past. We would be open to playing these tracks in the future—not as affirmation, but as living reminders of our journey, even as cautionary examples, because evolution has no meaning without memory.
Your lyrics previously focused on nihilism/war themes—how do they reflect Greek reality or personal experiences?
These specific thematic motifs now belong to the band’s past and are directly linked to that early period we described. Today, both the music and the lyrics of Black Winter have evolved significantly.
Our current vocalist engages with a much broader and more multi-layered thematic range, including references to Lovecraft and William Blake, science fiction, spiritual and anti-dogmatic issues, personal trauma, philosophical quests, and reflections on the digitization of the spirit and human experience in the modern era. Each track finds its own thematic language, just as it finds its own musical form.
Greek reality functions more as the environment within which we exist and create, rather than as a direct thematic framework. How and to what extent it affects each of us is relative, but it certainly acts as another factor pushing us toward intensity, inner exploration, and ultimately the need for expression through the extreme sound we serve.
The closing words are yours.
The only thing we would like to say in closing is a big and sincere thank you to everyone who, after so many years of absence, embraced us once again with warmth and respect. This response was not a given, and it means a great deal to us, because it shows that what we created in the past was not lost, but remained alive in the memory and hearts of some people.
Our return is not driven by nostalgia, but by the need for continuity and evolution. We promise to do everything in our power to repay this trust with new music, honest live performances, and respect both for the past and for everything we are building from here on.
See you on stage.
Originally published in Greek on: https://metalinvader.net/en/interview-with-black-winter/
Winterhordes of Darkness 
