In the realm of Death and Thrash Metal, few bands manage to weave intricate narratives while delivering heavy riffs that resonate with both the mind and the soul. Rise of Kronos stands out with their unique blend of "Olympic Death Metal," drawing inspiration from Greek mythology and philosophy. As they prepare to unleash their latest album, Imperium, the band takes us on a journey through their evolution, creative processes, and the profound themes that shape their music. Join us as we delve into the minds of Rise of Kronos and explore the powerful stories behind their sound with Tom Robinson, the guitarist and vocalist of the band.
Serial Metalbums: First of all, thank you very much for the invitation to this interview!. How would you describe your music, and what do you think sets it apart in the current Death/Thrash Metal scene?
Tom Robinson: We use to describe our music as “Olympic Death Metal” which refers to our lyrics. Our songs are about Greek mythology as well as philosophy. We create our own stories within this universe. I think our music tries to combine Death and Thrash Metal in a way you can sing along to it. On the other hand, we do not want to make it to easy in terms of complexity. Our songs are written to follow a line, but the line is made of a lot of curves and edges.
Serial Metalbums: Since your first album, how would you describe the evolution of your sound and musical approach leading up to "Imperium"? Have there been any significant changes or key moments that influenced this progression?
Tom Robinson: We evolved a lot since we started our journey back in 2010 where we just 16 or 17. At least I hope we did! But yes, the sound is more forged and more thought-out. Back then we had no idea what we want to sound like. Now we found our sound and we do write our songs knowing what we want to sound like and what we want to express with our songs. Also playing live a lot influenced our songwriting a lot. We want to create the opportunity to connect with the songs easy even if you don’t know them, especially in a live situation.
Serial Metalbums: The album "Imperium" seems to have a strong conceptual identity. Could you tell us more about the main theme of the album and how it is expressed through the tracks?
Tom Robinson: The album tells the story of spreading Kronos might and reign all over the world. It has some short stories about specific paths of his new reign (“Arrival Of Delusion”) and some general philosophical themes (“Know Thyself”). But over all we try to build up our story telling, our own lore based on the Greek mythology.
Serial Metalbums: How did the creative process for this album unfold? Could you share some insights into the album’s structure and the recording experience? Were there any particular challenges during production?
Tom Robinson: Compared to the previous record, we had the chance to write more songs all together in the rehearsal room. But we kept some of the structures implied during the Covid pandemic, like cloud-based recording projects where everyone so everyone can work.
From home. We made new experiences when we headed to Nino Helfrich to record the new album. The work he put into recording guitars and therefore the work we had to put into it, was amazing (and tough). But it was worth every second and every string we changed.
Serial Metalbums: What influences (musical, cultural, or otherwise) played a role in the creation of "Imperium"? Do these influences differ from those of your previous albums?
Tom Robinson: In general, we are always influenced by our hobbies and things we deal with every day. I mean, one big influence for me is philosophy. I do read a lot of philosophical books and like to think about complex problems. On the other side I am a big Warhammer 40k fan and love the world building, which influences me for sure! Musically we all have different bands we listen to, for sure there are bands that inspired us. Speaking for myself I must say, my bandmates do inspire me a lot. They bring up riffs or vocal lines that challenge me and bring me to the next level. I love that!
Serial Metalbums: Looking ahead, what are the future plans for Rise of Kronos? Are there any new musical directions, tours, or collaborations on the horizon?
Tom Robinson: Yes! We want to write new music and tour as much as possible. We are on tour right now and do our best to keep it going next year!
Serial Metalbums: How do you perceive the German extreme metal scene today in comparison to the international scene? In your view, what sets it apart, and how do you see its evolution?
Tom Robinson: There were times when the German metal scene seems to drift apart. For example, the time after “the big rise” of Metalcore. After that it felt like there is nothing happen. Which is a subjective feeling for sure. Nowadays we must challenge rising costs to make underground shows happen, to record records, to keep this scene going. But there are so many people who want to see the extreme metal bands. That want to come to shows, buy their music and support death metal. There are so many great German extreme metal bands. So, I think we must keep it going. Bring it on. Let us make death metal great and support each other!
Serial Metalbums: Are there any musicians or bands you would like to collaborate with in future projects? If so, why those specific artists?
Tom Robinson: Oh yes! There are a lot of people or bands I would love to work with one day. Of course having features on future records with people like Devin Townsend or Karl Sanders would be mind blowing. Especially because I am a big fan of them. But there are so many artists I would love to work with in terms of a split EP, maybe with our friends in Torturized. And why not bring some more great voices to the music. I would like to work
with Anika from Virocracy or Anja Backus, she is a musical actress from Germany. This could be fun! One last wish would be to tour with Crypta one day. Soooo hit us up Fefe! (please?)