Hello friends !
We will discover the universe of FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE but especially their new album.
Present yourself to the readers
Fotis Sotiropoulos: I am the lead guitarist and founder of FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE, a Greek power-progressive metal band that comes from the early 90's, with a ten years pause in between.
What’s the story for ATLANTIS ?
It is the title of our new album. It comprises of 12 songs and it is our fourth studio release, almost six years after its predecessor "Phoenix Rising". The reason for the delay was the difficulty we had in finding the appropriate singer for the band, after we parted ways with our previous singer. In the end, we promoted Tasos Lazaris from guitar to vocals and solved our problem.
Who composes ?...How does it work in the band ?(for this album)
I am the main composer of the band, but that does not prohibit others from taking part in the process. Even friends of ours outside the band can take part in it, as long as our high quality standards are met.
Who writes the texts ?..What are they talking about ?..How does inspiration come ?(for this album)
I also write the majority of the lyrics. They cover a wide span, from mythical and historical themes to social and everyday matters. We always try to let the music choose the lyrical topic. Inspiration comes always when you don't expect it.
Why the name FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE ?
It is a combination of two old movie titles, "Under siege" with Steven Seagal and "Fortress" with Christopher Lambert.
What's your best live memory ? And why ?
It was on spring 2015, when we were the first support act for mighty ACCEPT in their Athenian gig. It was our biggest show, in the biggest crowd and venue until now.
In studio, what was the atmosphere for your new album ?...etc.…
It was a very good experience. We recorded almost everything in Devasoundz Studios with Fotis Benardo to sign the production and George Neratzis the mastering. We are very happy with the final result.
How does it work for the great design of the CD ? and why this title ?
The cover page is a masterpiece oil painting of a very well known greek artist, Yiannis Koutrikas. It represents an allegory of Atlantis as a femme fatale, something you yearn and desire but you can never reach, no matter how hard you try.
How was the shooting of the clip ATLANTIS ? and why this choice ?
The video shooting took place at "The Black Box" of "Sound Symmetry Studio" in Athens by Bob Katsionis. Apart from us, in the video participates Jasmin Kalathaki, an ethnic dancer whose sensual and enchanting dance fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the song. "Atlantis" is an exceptional song and we thought it would be a perfect choice for a video clip.
With Management and booking, how do you work ? And with whom ?
Our manager is Ioannis Nikolakopoulos for Metal Mad Music. He is our manager since 1990, so we consider him as our seventh band member. We don't have a professional booking agent yet, we can't afford it.
What are your projects ?(for the band)
We have just released "Atlantis", we will sit back and wait for the sale results. In the meantime, the pre-production of our next album has finished and we have already started rehersing the new material. When the global situation permits it, we will start live gigs. The sooner the better.
What's your motto ?
Life is like a fortress under siege
Website to remember
You will find us here:
FB: www.facebook.com/FortressUnderSiege
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/FortressUnderSiege
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/FortressUnderSiege
What would you like to say to the readers ?
Stay safe and keep on rocking always.
Thanks for the upkeep
Hugues B.
