Greek vocalist Demetria joins us at an especially exciting moment for Unverkalt, as they prepare to unveil Héréditaire, their third album and first release with renowned label Season of Mist. Brimming with enthusiasm, she describes a period filled with fresh news, creative momentum, and the vital support of a dedicated team that believes in their vision. Héréditaire emerges as the collective effort of many hands, capturing the band’s evolving sound while pushing their contrasts—between chaos and fragility, intensity and romance—even further.
Welcome to Demetria from Unverkalt
So, Demetria, welcome. First of all, wanted to ask you, how are you? And you know how the promotion is going for the upcoming album?
So, first of all, thank you for having me. The promotion is going really, really well. We have so many exciting things and news that are coming the last months. Also having Season of Mist, it’s a big help as well with the promotion. We have a great team that pushes as much as they can our material, and it’s so, like, you know, it’s very important to have this kind of support also and faith in your project. So, yeah, pretty exciting. Can’t wait for our release, actually.
The new album Héréditaire
Let’s talk about this first album with Season of Mist is called Héréditaire, and it’s the third album for Unverkalt. So what can you tell me about the album production? When did you realize that, you know, you had a set of ideas that were about to be in stone, so to say.
I think we started working on this material after. After we finished the second album. So after the second album, we were trying to really get some ideas going. Themis, who is the main composer of the music, started to bring ideas on the table musically. So the whole band was starting to hear the songs. Then we were, you know, experimenting with them as well. Because, of course, you can have your, like, first basis, but of course you need to work and experiment a lot if you want to release a new material.
The new album Héréditaire [cont]
And also sometimes, you know, you don’t know the direction that you would like to go, and the experimentation can be a big part of it, and you can come up with something totally different than what you started. So I think it was, like, a really nice process in regard of the production. And also it was really amazing for us that we had Josh Barber who is our mixer for the album, and last La Mert, that did the mastering, which brought a lot of soul into it. And they brought also their ideas and their perspectives into the whole production, let’s say, and the whole esthetic and overall sound. So, yeah, I think it’s It’s a work of many people. And, yeah, it’s always really cool to see how it progresses through time.
Unverkalt experimenting with the vocals
Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, you know, I work out as being always open to, you know, to experiment with every album, but this time which was the challenge? Because with experimenting comes always a challenge near.
Yeah, I would say this on this record, the difference that you will experience, it’s the vocal combos that we have. So we have two different voices this time. The whole album interferes with a lot of different layers and also the new direction of music itself. So we have some really chaotic parts, but also some really fragile parts and some more ethereal parts. Indeed, we wanted to have the contrast of things on this record, to have like, the absolute extreme part that you can hear on the vocals, on the music, on the drums, and then the dreamy, romantic vibe of it.
Unverkalt experimenting with the vocals [cont]
So we didn’t lose entirely what we are doing from the previous work as well, because the previous records were somehow different and the direction was somehow also different. It’s like something a little bit extra. And it was challenging, of course, because, you know, when you bring some extra elements, of course something will be like, challenging. Also for me, doing extreme vocals, it was my first real attempt to go for it. And, you know, it’s like a really cool. A really cool process and way that we worked together.
Learning to do extreme vocals
About this, I wanted to ask you, how did you learn to do extreme vocals? Because it’s not so something that you learn in one day, in one month of six months. So it’s year-plan dedication, I think. So I was kind of surprised also, you know, by it. Positively nice.
Yeah. I mean, it takes time and it still takes. You know, for me, I’m still working a lot. I have a coach that we work a lot parts. Because of course, voice is a different instrument in a way, and sometimes it, you know, it reacts in its own way, and sometimes you cannot really control it. So it’s really important to have a support of someone or even yourself, because I started experimenting alone.
But then I was like, I am gonna need some help here to really make it work in the way that I would like like it to work. Because you don’t know what is happening there. So you need to really start understanding the different positioning of your voice and how everything comes.
Keeping the balance between romantic elements and extreme choas for Unverkelt
Yeah, absolutely. And as you mentioned before, other Unverkelt, as always been, to blend softer that romantic elements with extreme, extreme chaos. And with Héréditaire, you nail it. But how difficult was to keep that balance? You know, because you don’t want to be too much by one side or you don’t want to be too much the other side. So it’s always a matter of balance. And it’s difficult sometimes.
Yeah, it can be sometimes. Yes, for sure. I think, you know, when we started working on it, somehow it came naturally on how we would like to add things there. So when you have the musical approach, then it’s more easy for you to really understand. So in which direction. I’m gonna put at least the layers of the voice because I’m gonna speak for. From my perspective. Yeah, it can be can be challenging as well. And it can be like easy and difficult because it depends on the day, depends on your inspiration at the moment you are recording. But also it came pretty naturally.
Keeping the balance between romantic elements and extreme choas for Unverkelt [cont]
So I would say sometimes you have to just be free on what you want to express, and then it will come for you more easily. Not, you know, stick to something that. Okay, I need to do it like that. Exactly. So it’s a bit more limiting as well. So we try to think a bit broader and being like, “okay, can I express more here? Can I do it a bit further?” Like what I would like to do to go for. And then you go for. And you never know. Some people might like it, some people might not like it, but in the end, the music is like expression.
Just being yourself
Yeah, you know, I don’t think that you need to please people. I think that you need to please yourself. Because I think if you release something which you are not happy for, then you are not happy to speak about it. That’s my idea.
Exactly. I totally agree. And in the end, it’s something that comes from your heart. So you need to really just be free with what you feel inside. Because music, it’s feelings and music, it’s emotions and. Yeah, totally agree. Yeah.
Unverkalt shooting the three singles videos’
And, out of Héréditaire there are already three singles Die Auslöschung, Oath ov Prometheus and Introjects. So I wanted to ask you how was work on these videos because I know they are fully shoot that video. No lyric videos and that ask a lot of commitments from both parts, you know.
Yeah, it was a big, big, big progress, I have to tell you. Indeed, we had the record ready before a year around and then we started. Then we had the signing and everything with Season of Mist, which was the coolest thing. And then we start working on how we will create the image of everything because it’s a different totally different direction than the music itself to go into the video parts and to go to all three.
Unverkalt shooting the three singles videos’ [cont]
All the other rest of facets that you need to create. So it was really, really great. I will tell you, because we have such a great company of people and I enjoy their company. It makes easier, you know, when you have people around working the project in the best way and in their own way. And you like how you work together. So I think a big part was the collaboration part that made it easier and then doing it DIY because our guitarist Themis was the director. It’s also another nice thing because he knows what he wants to bring to the music. So he has the direction of how he would like to go for. And then all of us just came into the shootings.
Unverkalt shooting the three singles videos’ [cont]
We were staying all day, bringing ideas, dancing around. It was, I have to tell you, the most beautiful moments we spent. Even I don’t know if it was even better than the recordings itself. I don’t want to say big words, but it was so beautiful because it was also challenging. For example, to shoot Oath ov Prometheus, we had like a long day in the forest. It was summer and it was raining the whole day. So we had to pack things like, you know…
Typical northern Europe weather (laughs).
Yes, I know [laughs] but I loved it. And you know, it’s about the collaboration and the people in the end that make it work.
Unverkalt signing onto Season of Mist
As I mentioned before, the album will be released via Season of Mist. How has challenged you guys to be signed onto one of the big labels? And how things have changed for you?
I think it’s the biggest change is that you feel supported. You feel that you have one more hand to hold you. Because of course, you know, when you do underground music and let’s face it, sometimes it can be really hard and sometimes you cannot have enough support and you cannot do a lot of things. You, of course you try.
Unverkalt signing onto Season of Mist [cont]
And this is what we are doing like all these years. We try a lot. But it’s really wonderful when you have like a hand to hold you and to be together on this journey. And I think that was the biggest part of it. But also what changed? I would say it’s on this part like not being alone and having someone that really invest in you and invest in pushing more your album and your music. Absolutely. That was incredible. I still cannot believe it, to be honest. I was so happy and still I am very, very happy for this thing.
Upcoming plans
Yeah. Do you any plans for touring coming up?
Currently we have like our release show in Berlin in 11th of April. And then of course we will schedule some more shows. We have also December and October, some things that we will announce. Yeah, it’s a work in progress. I will say right now we are scheduling everything so soon I will have A bit more information about this.
The concept behind Héréditaire as title album
Well, I hope I ask you everything, Demetria, if I miss something, just tell me. It’s your space, you know?
Yes, I think. I mean, you did such a great question so far. I really liked it.
Thank you.
Actually, for the concept, maybe I would say a few words.
The concept behind Héréditaire as title album [cont]
Please do.
We worked on the album’s title a lot in the start because we had like a different name. We wanted to name it old, to have a more existential way of saying the whole thing. But then it came out, this title, Hereditaire, and then the whole concept began to have a body. Indeed, we wanted to create something that will make you explore themes that sometimes we suppress or we don’t see.
The concept behind Héréditaire as title album [cont]
Or we don’t really, you know, sometimes are aware of them because it just are inside us, but we are not like. It’s like an autopilot sometimes in life, you know, you don’t really go and check, “Okay, what I can do better and how I can be more free”. So, yeah, the whole concept, it’s an awakening of things and an exploration of things. I thought it also important to mention that.