For this interview, we spoke with Martl Paris, bass player of the Austrian thrash metal band Silius, who took the time to answer our questions. He discusses the mindset behind the new album, the band’s evolution over the years, their influences, songwriting process, and their view of today’s metal scene—always driven by passion, honesty, and the pure enjoyment of making heavy music.
Serial Metalbums: Beneath the Flesh marks your return with a new full-length album. What musical or artistic mindset were you in when you started working on this record?
Martl Paris: Hey Serial Metalbums, first of all, THANK YOU very much for the interview. Wel our mind set for the songwriting was simple. 100% mayhem and full motivation. It`s our first album with our new members Benji and Manu, and both brought a lot of new power and energy into the band songwriting.
Serial Metalbums: Silius has been active for many years now. Looking back at your journey since Hell Awakening in 2017, how do you reflect on the band’s evolution?
Martl Paris: It was a crazy trip so far. We were just 5 guys who wanted to make some music, and no one expected that we would play at the biggest festivals in Europe. But it`s still all about fun, today even more than years before. A lot of things have changed since our first album. Each of us has grown and developed musically. And we`re not quite as heavy drinkers as we used to be. Haha
Serial Metalbums: From Hell Awakening to Worship to Extinction and now Beneath the Flesh, what core elements have remained essential to the Silius sound?
Martl Paris: First of all it`s Haui's guitar playing I think. Especially on our latest album, he wrote 90% of the riffs. All the songs are built on his riffs. And of course it`s the conviction of each of us. Manu`s drum-playing is unique. He also brought lyrics and a lot of great ideas to the songwriting. Benji's voice… it just fits pefect to the aggressive lyrics, and also he brought great stuff and many ideas. All in all, the core element is that each of us actively contributed to every song.
Serial Metalbums: Which bands or musical movements have had the strongest influence on Silius, and how do those influences translate into your songwriting?
Martl Paris: I think the biggest influence you can hear came from Pantera and Exodus. But there are much more bands we get our inspiration from. For example, I`m a huge fan of Cliff Burton`s bass playing, Randy Blythe`s singing, and Lemmy`s lifestyle. Haha. But we are all old School metalheads. Like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Metallica, Slayer and so on…
Serial Metalbums: How do you usually approach songwriting as a band? Is it driven more by riffs, rhythm, atmosphere, or collective experimentation?
Martl Paris: That also changed over the years. Back in the days we were jamming out every song together in the rehearsal room. Sometimes it took months or YEARS for a single song. This time, Haui brought almost all the riffs, every one of us checked it out, and when everyone got his ideas and shit together, we met at the rehearsal room and made a song out of it. It was a lot of fun and everyone did a great job. This time I wrote most of the lyrics. But Benji also wrote a lot, and even our drummer learned the alphabet and wrote some lyrics.
Serial Metalbums: Aggression and precision are both strong aspects of your music. How do you balance brutality with structure in your compositions?
Martl Paris: To be honest, I don`t know. We do not follow a straight line. We try a lot of things while we are writing till it feels right for us. Music is also something where you can release all your aggressions, so put all of it into our new record.
Serial Metalbums: Over the years, have your goals as a band changed—musically or ideologically—or do you still follow the same vision you had at the beginning?
Martl Paris: No, a lot has changed. Back in the days we dreamed about big tours, and just making music for a living. But the music business became tough. Especially after covid, it`s very hard for bands to be really successful. Year after year we realised, that it`s all about fun. We love what we do, and as long as we have fun we keep on rollin. And when you're playing your songs live, and people with Silius shirts are screaming your lyrics, then it`s worth every second you spend for the band.
Serial Metalbums: How do you perceive the Austrian extreme metal scene today, and what role do you think Silius plays within it?
Martl Paris: Generally speaking, there are now countless really, really good Bands. Underground Bands are so underrated. We are slowly drifting into the category of the “old farts” I think. And that’s great. People still recognize us, and some of them are still die-hard fans after more than 10 year. So we did something right I think.
Serial Metalbums: Being included in My 2025 Essentials by Serial Metalbums, what does this recognition mean to you at this stage of your career?
Martl Paris: Yeah it means a lot to us and we are very thankful for that. Getting recognized by more and more people is the best that could happen to a band. And with your help we reach even more people. That means a lot to us.
Serial Metalbums: Finally, after Beneath the Flesh, how do you envision the future of Silius, both musically and as a band?
Martl Paris: Ah that's simple. Having fun, playing a couple of shows, and catching some beers together with fans and friends. And who knows, maybe we will start to write some new shit soon. Whatever feels right for us tot do, just keeping the Metal train rolling.
