Hello HellPass! Nice to meet you! We are very glad to have you here!
Below you will find some interview questions from our site Metal Prison – No Escape:
How did you decide to form this band? Is a dream came true or you just want to jam around?
Hello! I’m Alexander and I am the drummer of HellPass. First of all we would like to thank you for this interview and for the opportunity you are giving us for a wider audience to get to know us better. In June 2022, having met Angelos (guitar) we made the decision to form HellPass because Angelos and I share the same love for extreme sound and the desire to dedicate our lives to it. So, it is definitely a dream that came true and not just a jam.
This is how HellPass came about and shortly after their establishment, Vassilis joined the band. We started as a three-piece and within a few months we had our first album called "Gates of War" and in the late summer of '22 we entered the recording studio. In the meantime, we were looking for a bass player so Vassilis could focus more on vocals. At the beginning of autumn 2022, Nikos joined the band and started learning our songs and coming to our rehearsals. Since then we have released several video clips. The latest is the self-titled track of our first record “Gates of War” which you can find on our YouTube channel (https://linktr.ee/hellpass).
We have also performed many live performances in many urban centers of the country (Thessaloniki, Athens, Volos, Lari) and in August we will play, on the 26th of the month, at the Over The Wall Festival organized in Heraklion, Crete. Then, in November we have planned a tour with Arallu and our brothers from Athens, Among Ruins, in three countries in Eastern Europe.
How did you come up with that name? Does HellPass have a special meaning as a name?
We are a heavy metal band! We wanted a heavy metal name. From the beginning heavy music has been associated with Satan and all that this entity encompasses. So we wanted a name representative of that element. What could be more metal than Hell? Well, a ticket to hell! This is our music! HellPass is fucking metal!
Describe your music genre in three words.
I would describe our sound as heavy metal music with doom and thrash elements. Apart from this, we are an ever growing band, every member carries his own influences and the final product is a blend of all the personalities that are involved in the composition process.
Your new album titled as Gates Of War is out! Which feelings do you have for this release? Why should we listen to this album?
The response of our listeners is very positive. I personally keep meeting people who tell me how much they enjoy this record. We thank all the people with whom we share our music and for us it is the ultimate payment to know that other people enjoy our songs.
There is a kind of authenticity in our compositions. I can't identify to what we owe this but it's there. When someone listens to one of our songs, they can recognize it as HellPass, even if they don't remember the title of the song or the name of the band.
Music, vocals or lyrics? Which one is the most powerful element from this new album?
I’d say all of them. We put a lot of passion in every aspect of our music.
Which song is your favorite from the album Gates Of War?
It’s either Futura or Burning Flag, I can’t tell right now. You can listen to both of them on our spotify or Bandcamp and watch the music videos on our Youtube channel, if interested.
Do you have any video from this album or do you prepare a new one this period?
We have shot several of them which we public periodically on our Youtube channel. The latest is the self-titled track of our first record “Gates of War”.
How do you promote this new album? Any gigs in the near future?
We have already completed a mini tour in major urban center of Greece and It’s been great. In the near future we are going to play in Crete at Over the Wall Festival in August and we are excited about that.
Do you have any plans for some concerts outside Greece?
Of course. We have already booked a tour. We have planned 9 shows with the black metallers Arallu in Eastern Europe from November 11th to 19th and we are very excited to be doing it together with our brothers from Athens, Among Ruins. These are all the dates:
11/11/23:FarářovaSluj, MladáBoleslav, CZ
12/11/23:BossBar, Poděbrady, CZ
13/11/23:RockleKlub, ČeskéBudějovice, CZ
14/11/23: Probaterem, Szentes, HU
15/11/23:Manufactura, Timişoara, RO
16/11/23: Death Covenant Festival, Cluj Napoca, RO
17/11/23: MC Clubhouse, Lugoj RO
18/11/23: Rock ‘N’ Roll Center, Zalau, RO
19/11/23: Gekko Pub, Oradea, RO
Thank you HellPass for this beautiful conversation! Any last thoughts?
It is equally important for musicians and fans to understand that bands, YouTube Channels, podcasts, radio station, venues, promoters, sound engineers, road crews etc. exist only because of, and to the degree of, the support that the fans show to the bands.
So, you, metalhead, who are reading this interview I kindly suggest that you subscribe to our YouTube Channel, follow HellPass on Facebook and Instagram, listen to our music on Spotify, buy our music, if so desire, on Bandcamp and also get your Hellshirt.
By doing these simple things one day you will be able to watch us perform your favorite HellPass song live and have a great time banging your head with us.
Always remember: music is here to unite the human race and everything starts from you.
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hellpassband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellpass.band
Bandcamp: https://hellpass.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://rb.gy/wcokiw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellpass.band
