Since the earliest days of Rotting Christ and even before, Jim Mutilator has been a larger-than-life presence within the legendary Greek black metal scene. From his Black Church days and through the Rotting Christ era until now - the age of Yoth Iria - Jim has etched his name into the hallowed halls of black metal legend, and not just in Greece, but across the globe. To know Hellenic black metal is to have felt his impact, and being afforded the honor to interview him is something I will always hold dear.

Yoth Iria is the brainchild of Jim's sacred vision for BM. The band incorporates all of the familiar warmth, theatrics, and melody of traditional Greek black metal while also providing the taker in with a look into the realm of the Daemon of the New Millennium - Yoth Iria itself… Romantic Satanism; great stories told and portrayed through the lens provided by the true friends of humanity - the Daemons themselves. So much more than typical Devil worshipping black metal and so much more than animalistic blasphemy, this is black metal for the ages! Timeless and brilliant, spiritual and profound. 

A great mystery is about to be unlocked. Everything you've ever wanted to know about Jim Mutilator is about to be revealed right here. During my latest interview, Jim Mutilator discusses the early Greek scene, his influences, Rotting Christ, his occult-driven lifestyle, and the majesty of Yoth Iria: the great Daemon, Jim's guardian and the essence behind one of the world's greatest black metal bands. Let the ritual commence!

Jeger

Hails, Jim, and welcome to MetalBite. First and foremost, as a devout adorer of the Greek black metal scene, it's truly an honor to have an audience with one of its pioneers. You've been a champion of the Greek scene since the earliest days of Rotting Christ and Varathron. How would you describe the early days and who were some of your early influences?

I started playing music in the mid-'80s, as I was really into traditional heavy metal from the beginning of the '80s and jumped on the extreme sound of bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Bathory, Slayer, Metallica, Possessed, and Exodus from their debut albums. It was so a big influence on me that I thought to build my own band to follow my idols of those days. So, around 1985, I started a band under the name Black Church and started making plans. Of course, Black Church can be described as the precursor to Rotting Christ in 1987. A lot of bands of the '80s had a strong impact on me like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Necrovore, and Sarcófago.

There seemed to be some competition between the early Norwegian and Greek scenes, as evidenced by one comment in particular that was made by Satyr of Satyricon during one of his early interviews where he basically claims that the Norwegian product is superior to the Greek style. From your perspective, what separates the Greek style from the Norwegian?

I guess Norwegian black metal is more aggressive and frozen compared to Greek black metal. They created a more extreme sound in contrast with Rotting Christ. We were sounding like a mix of traditional heavy metal with thrash and black metal. For sure, Norway was responsible for making black metal music very famous in the world, and it had a really big effect on us, as people around the world became more familiar with the black metal sound while they discovered more bands like us. Don't forget that people like Euronymous, Fenriz, and Varg were big fans of Rotting Christ, and they really recommended us to their fans.

I'm a huge admirer of your work with Rotting Christ and the era in which you played for them. You left RC in 1996. Why did you feel like you needed to leave at the tail end of what was, in my opinion, the greatest era for the band?

It was really a hard decision and a really bad decision, but you know, from the day I remember myself, I had to fight with a lot of my own chaos. It's really hard to explain, as there was more than one reason, but it was a mistake…

You've drawn much inspiration from the Occult, particularly with your band Yoth Iria which delves into traditional themes pertaining to romantic Satanism but also ritual and Paganism. When were you first introduced to the Occult and how would you say it has changed your life?

I've been interested in occultism since the late '80s. I was no more than 15 years old when I sent Christ and The Saints to the garbage. I felt very attracted to the Daemonic world and I considered myself like one of them. So, as you can understand, Daemons for me are something true. You know, some people think it's not logical at the age of 53 to believe they truly exist, but I can say that Daemons are really great forces, and they are the true friends of humanity.

For me, magick is like a daily part of my life, and for sure I will spend some time, especially in the night to make my personal ritual. I guess it's really easy after a long time of experience to come in touch with Daemons, and I like to have connections with as many of them as I can. Also, it's great before our live shows to take my small Daemonic breaths, and I'm happy to see that my bandmates started joining me sometimes, as they can feel great energy.

You started Yoth Iria in 2019 alongside your brother in black metal, The Magus, who departed from the band in 2023. I interviewed him earlier this year and he stated that his departure was due to creative differences but that you two are still dear friends. What was the biggest difference between your vision for Yoth Iria and his?

I started Yoth Iria as a personal project, The Magus joined me after I called him on the phone and after he listened to the promo tracks. Actually, from our old days, George and I were quite different in regard to black metal. George is totally against playing live, on the other side, I'm really addicted to playing live. George prefers more experimentation, and he is much more aggressive with musical compositions. So, I knew from the beginning that our cooperation would not last for a long time, but still, with one album I think history was written. As a person, I have a lot of respect for George, and I really consider him as one of the most important black metal personalities in the world.

The name of the band, "Yoth Iria", is evidently of great meaning to you as evidenced by its repeated use in tracks such as the titular cut to the new album, "Blazing Inferno", for example. I've done some research on the name and couldn't find much about it. What exactly does Yoth Iria mean and why is this name of so much importance to you?

Yoth Iria is a Daemon of the new millennium. It revealed itself to me in 1992, and from that time, he has been more than a protecting power. Yoth Iria is another highlight of the Daemonic world. He provides us with light, knowledge, and freedom. For me, he is like a guardian.

"Blazing Inferno" is one of the finest Hellenic black metal records I've ever listened to and I've been doing this for a while. It definitely seems like there's a lot of cohesion within the band. How do you feel about the lineup in its current form?

I'm happy to see you liked our new album. Yeah, you are very right. There's a strong lineup now, and each member really helps the band to improve.

One track in particular from the new album caught my attention, "We Call Upon the Elements". This is not only the title of the track but it is also a common phrase that's used within various sects of Paganism as a way to call upon The Quarters during ritual. Paganism is a common theme in black metal. What is it about the ancient magick of Paganism that fascinates you most?

Paganism is a noble connection between man and Mother Nature and has nothing to do with the defecation of Christians or Islamists who wish to spiritually abuse people. Paganism creates free people, the others want just slaves. "We Call Upon the Elements" is a track that glorifies Mother Nature and calls people to start joining the true happiness of life through occultism. You know, life is something magickal, everything around us is magick, and our short life must belong to us. It's so simple for me. Like a general conclusion, everything is connected to magick. it's a great thing to explore.

What does the future look like for Yoth Iria?

Nobody knows what the future brings… I'm looking forward to playing more shows so we can promote "Blazing Inferno" to the world.

Do you have a message for the horde?

Thank all of you for reading this. Yoth Iria is Metal Magic Freedom!

Yoth Iria's new album "Blazing Inferno" has received a great reception so far, also when you check the reviews for it on our site. I had the great pleasure talking to the mind behind the band, legendary Jim Mutilator who is deeply rooted in the Greek black metal scene since the late 80s. Not only Yoth Iria but also his works with Rotting Christ and his connections in the scene were topic of our chat we had via Zoom. Dive deep into Jim Mutilators' world and enjoy reading!

Michael

Hi Jim, I hope all is fine with you?

Yes, all is fine, thank you!

Your new Yoth Iria album "Blazing Inferno" was out this November. Of course I already heard it several times and have my own opinion about it but what would you personally say is the main difference to "As The Flame Withers"?

I think that I had in mind to make something different to "As The Flame Withers". In my opinion this was a good album but I wanted to create something which is a little bit more different just not to copy "As The Flame Withers" musical direction. I tried with my guitarist to create something more melodic but also still more aggressive. I think that maybe "Blazing Inferno" is not as complicated as "As The Flame Withers" and it has more short tracks and not so many riffs. I think we gave more attention to melody to keep the true black metal spirit into it without so many complicated tempo changes in the tracks. I think it's a good continuation because it's a Yoth Iria album but not a copy of its predecessor. Another big difference is the change of the vocalist. "He" is the new vocalist and replaces The Magus.

I like the super epic melodies that weren't to find in such amount on "As The Flame Withers". Did you want to create a catchier album this time?

Yes, exactly, you are right. I had in mind something catchier, something to be straight to the ears of the fans. I do music for my fans, for my soul but for sure the people will judge if that's a good album or not.

If I got it right, there is a story between the battle of demons and angels that you tell on "Blazing Inferno". Did you want to set some sort of theater play to music?

I don't think there is a battle of angels and demons. In my own belief I don't believe that there are out there some demons and angels that fight each other. Those are energies that have particular meanings in our lives. I think most spiritual and I think that the main subject in our album is that Gabriel and Yoth Iria destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. So the meaning is that an angel and a demon join forces and destroy and anomaly. Those were cities with sin, where fathers raped their daughters and so on and Yoth Iria was the gift of Lucifer to Gabriel to destroy them faster. It's more hypothetic like a subject I wanted to work around. The main meaning of the album is that you don't have to fear anything because life on Earth is too short. If you avoid the main reason for fear you will be invincible. In my opinion inner fear of people is the main reason for most of the bad things. Don't forget that if someone lives in fear it's easier to be like a slave. This is the meaning of the album: metal, magic, freedom.

Did the classic Greek drama play a role in composing the songs or arranging them on the album? I often feel like you are building up a lot of tension in the progress of the songs and which is falling down slightly towards the end.

I really like this question because even nowadays Greece is a poor country with a glorious past. Living in Greece has a big influence on our conscience. I agree that the ancient Greek drama and not only this but also ancient Greek philosophy and the civilization has a big effect in my way of thinking and on the way I build my art. I have respect for other countries and the people there, we all live in the same universe. But everywhere in Greece, there are ancient monuments and this ancient atmosphere and I think you can't avoid this ancient inspiration, especially in us that are occupied with this kind of music because in my opinion it's a different kind of music because we are a different kind of people.

Haha, that's funny because Sakis from Rotting Christ told me almost the same in our latest interview with all the ancient monuments and so on. Listening to a song like "Mornings Of The One Thousand Golds" makes me instantly smile because it reminds me so much of "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers". How much Rotting Christ DNA is still in Yoth Iria?

I don't want to think that I'm talking with a big ego but in my career so far I think that the best album we ever made, me and Sakis, was "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers". It's the way I realized music, the kind of structures. Of course I never think that I try to copy "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" but now I can say that unconsciously I think that the musical standards of the album always hit on me (laughs). Of course you are the ones to judge how the music is sounding to your ears, I am not the one to judge my music but I think that some riffs in "Mornings Of The One Thousand Golds" after listening to it several times sound like "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" but nothing of that happened on purpose (laughs).

You have the same God or Demon on the cover, only that he isn't that majestic and crowned this time but destructive and fiery. Do you also want to tell a story with the covers?

From the beginning I have decided that all Yoth Iria albums, and I hope we will release a lot of more albums (laughs), will have the same demon, Yoth Iria. Of course you know that the first I mentioned Yoth Iria was in Rotting Christ on the track "Fourth Knight Of Revelation" on "Thy Mighty Contract". "Yoth Iria – Unholy Master; Yoth Iria – Prince Of Fire". It was like my personal guardian angel demon and this time it's a destructive one because he is destroying Sodom and Gomorrah and if you check, you can see archangel Gabriel behind him. We have a great artist from India, Harshanand Singh, working also for Ubisoft, the famous label making games for the kids. If you remember, the band started with our EP "Under His Sway" with him like in a throne. On "As The Flame Withers" he was just staring at a universe and now was the time for destruction. Be sure, the next album will be like the rainbow after the storm!

Since the debut album a lot of things have changed – you have a completely new band and with Edged Circle also a new label. What happened that this all had to change?

To be honest, the band is my personal vision. I had in mind to create a band which is totally on my own just with a singer. But what happened? After releasing "As The Flame Withers" suddenly and totally unexpected I had so many proposals for live shows. I like playing live because in my opinion black metal has to be in touch with the fans because we're going to spread the words of black metal. I felt obligated to create a full band. I changed some members but from the first day we started playing live shows I have the same line-up. The guys joined the band a few months after the release of "As The Flame Withers" and I have to make clear that The Magus joined me for the recording of the first album and it was clear for us that he wasn’t available for live shows and his time was really limited because he runs a lot of jobs. From the beginning I had in mind that if I want to play live shows I would need a live singer and of course a guitarist, a drummer et cetera.

Yeah, I remember that The Magus told me about that. But apart from this, you also changed the label and Stian who runs Edged Circle told me how excited he was to have you in his roster now.

Yes, the debut album was on Pagan Records and it was the famous Nergal of Behemoth that suggested us to release the debut on that label. I'm really satisfied with the job they did, it was for one album and we received a very good suggestion from Stian and so we are here with our new album. We have a contract for one album and I am very satisfied with Edge Circle Productions because they are really supportive to us and really spend money for supporting us.

"We Call Upon The Elements" is the first video from the new album. Are there some more planned to release?

We are planning two more tracks from the album. One track will be the title track "Blazing Inferno".

"The Wanderer" was a single you also released this year and which is originally an old Emperor song that too close to the original. Is this your bow to the old Scandinavian black metal scene? How much influence did they have on you?

This track was for a compilation "A Tribute To Emperor" but for me this old thing is a lot more deeper. I had a lot of strong relationships with a lot of Norwegian artists. From the late 80s it was Jon Metalion, if you remember him from Slayer Magazine, who connected me around 86/87 with Euronymous.  Although we never met because he was very young back then we were in contact, also on a weekly basis, talking to him on the phone. We wrote a lot of letters to each other and he was the one who gave me a lot of other Norwegian guys' addresses and in the early 90s I was in contact with the whole Norwegian scene. I was a very good friend to Fenriz, Varg, with the guys from Enslaved and Dissection from Sweden or Immortal – the list is very long. With Rotting Christ in our very early days we had received a big support from Euronymous and the other Norwegian guys. For me in my mind, I always have a big respect for them even now some of them are rock stars. In my mind they are all like brothers and beck in the 90s they were brave guys that made a really big revolution for black metal with burning churches. Of course I don't tell people to burn churches, not now with my 53 years, but I have a big respect for them because they weren't afraid to fight a war for black metal. They burnt churches, went to jail and what was really terrible for me that a friend killed another great friend. Not because of death, everybody of us will die, maybe now or in a few years, this doesn't matter. The bad thing is that Euronymous was an iconic black metal artist and a leader in my opinion, I think that thousands of people out there would agree with me. Varg also was a great musician but it happened. There were a lot of things that didn't happen because of Euronymous' death. If you know Rotting Christ was in contact with Deathlike Silence for "Thy Mighty Contract" and we were ready to release a split with Burzum. Of course nothing happened. I made this Emperor track with lyrics as a very small tribute to all these legendary guys up in the north.

What are the upcoming plans for Yoth Iria in late 24/25?

We will start a tour in late February, about two weeks in Europe, some days in Brazil, we have some shows and festivals in January, probably there will be some shows in Greece in December and we are talking with our agency for a bigger tour in September 25.

The last words belong to you!

Thank you very much for your support and kind words. Hello to all the people that will read this interview and I hope I will meet a lot of you at the upcoming shows!

After a hiatus of more than two decades, Conception, one of the most iconic names in progressive metal, finally reunited to continue to enchant admirers with their innovative sound and profound lyrics. In this exclusive interview, vocalist Roy Khan reflected on the band's journey since their reunion. He also highlighted the warm reception from fans to Conception's return and the musical evolution that the band achieved with their latest works, the EP "My Dark Symphony" (2018) and the album "State Of Deception" (2020). In addition to remembering the highlights of his career, both with Conception and Kamelot, Roy revealed how the band prepared for this triumphant return.

Marcelo Vieira

When Conception announced the reunion with you returning as the vocalist, the fans' response couldn't have been more enthusiastic. At that moment, did you feel how important your music was and how much the absence of the band was felt in the scene?

Yes, I had an idea that people would like it, but we really didn't know what to expect because many years had passed... But the reception was warm and really nice.

You and the others remained friends during this 20-year hiatus. Can it be said that it was just a matter of time until Conception returned, or was this issue not always on the table?

No, not really. What I had with Kamelot was immense at the time. So, I didn't see a reunion with the Conception guys as something that would happen at that moment anyway. But even after I left Kamelot, I didn't want anything to do with music. So, it took a few years before I started thinking about it.

At what point did the four of you conclude that it was time to finally awaken the sleeping giant?

When Tore [Østby, guitarist and keyboardist] approached me with some demos they had improvised, played some songs, and that kind of sparked something in me that led us to what we have today. Tore and I talked about locking ourselves in a cabin somewhere and trying to write some songs together again. That resulted in maybe seven, eight really cool demos. And from there, it was easy, really.

I dare say "State Of Deception" is my favorite Conception album. Is it yours too?

It's really hard to pick a favorite, but I really like these last two albums. They have a lot of maturity that we didn't have in the 90s. We all went through some really tough times between that time and now. So, emotionally, it was a very liberating piece of art to let out and share with people. But it's really hard to pick a favorite. I also love the catalog albums. But "My Dark Symphony" and "State Of Deception"are definitely up there.

In what ways, in your opinion, are these recent albums so excellent?

Their maturity comes with all those years in between. When you work in a profession for years and years, you develop certain connections. You evolve as a musician, as a songwriter, as a lyricist. And I think we all had a lot of energy to put into this thing we hadn't been working on for years. Writing an album is really like magic unfolding before you because you start from nothing. That whole process is really a bit like being an alchemist. You create something. It's like making gold out of nothing, really.

Given that mentioned magic, could it be said that these 20 years were perhaps the best thing that could have happened to the band as a creative unit?

Maybe. I certainly wish I hadn't had the difficult moments and problems I had in my life, but I'm sure all these years were a big part of how these albums turned out.

I would like you to talk a little about what Conception shows are like today.

Conception is a band that really needs to be experienced live. It's really a very cohesive unit. And it's also a matter of interaction with the audience. Brazilian fans are really enthusiastic, and they sing along, and it's so cool.

It's good to know that, despite it being some time ago, you still remember the country and the fans.

Of course. I was in São Paulo at Edu Falaschi's show in January this year. So, I had a little foretaste of the excitement. It was amazing.

What do you still remember about the country from the times you were in Brazil with Kamelot?

I think we played just a few shows with me. One in São Paulo, at Via Funchal, which I heard doesn't exist anymore. But it was an amazing show we did with Epica, I think. And then we played a show in Rio. But first of all, it was many years ago. But, as I said before, the enthusiasm, the singing along, and the warmth of the audience are really something special.

I'm 34, so I belong to a generation of fans who knew you as the vocalist of Kamelot. I want you to make two comparisons. First, how was it working with Kamelot compared to Conception?

Not very different, to be honest. Of course, Kamelot was mainly me and Thomas [Youngblood, guitarist] writing songs together and playing. But all the other guys also helped with a lot of things, like filming and other web stuff and editing. And Casey [Grillo, drummer] had a big role. And the same thing happened with Conception, Tore and I wrote most of the songs and also played. I think the main difference is that we run our own record label. With Kamelot, we had contracts and a record label behind us. While with Conception, we do everything ourselves, which is very tough, a lot of work, but also a lot of freedom.

When you're under contract with a record label, is there more pressure regarding dates, musical style, and delivery in general?

We had pretty much total artistic freedom with Kamelot too. But, of course, when you have a record label backing you, they invest a lot of money. And you feel more obligated to meet certain deadlines. And you always have to think about the fact that they always judge you by the last album. So you need to be somewhat in line with what the company expects. But both bands always had total artistic freedom.

In 2014, you stated that you had a mental breakdown and decided to leave Kamelot to prioritize your health and your family. Looking back, what caused this?

It was a variety of many things. I was living my life in a really bad way, working too much. I had a family and was away half the year. I also wasn't really present when I was at home. I lived in this Kamelot bubble and gradually felt more and more that these two personas were tearing me apart. Like this stage persona, Roy Khan, the artist, and me personally, being a husband, father, and everything else. I had a severe breakdown during the summer of 2010, where I spent six weeks almost without sleep. It was tough. But it was a very good decision to leave the band at that time, although, of course, it was difficult.

In agreement with Thomas, they wouldn't announce your departure in case you recovered and changed your mind. That didn't happen. What made you decide that your absence from Kamelot would be permanent instead of temporary?

I just felt it was a life I had left behind. Two weeks before we released "Poetry For The Poisoned" (2010), I had gone through a long summer almost without sleep. I felt like a complete wreck, really felt like I was going insane. And to some extent I was. Actually, already at that time, I decided I wouldn't do this anymore. Just the thought of going to the airport made me physically sick. I couldn't watch TV shows like Idol, The Voice, and the Eurovision festival. I couldn't stand seeing people on stage. So, it was just a life I felt I had left behind when I first told the guys that this couldn't happen anymore.

In what ways did joining the church and working there help you to recover?

It was a job. It was definitely something for my ego, though. I came from Kamelot, being on stage in front of tens of thousands of people at some point. And then I started this youth club at my church. On the first night, we had two people. And I was like, what? This is different. And then it developed into quite a large group of young people who came every other Friday. It was something cool. But it really messed with my ego at first. It was probably something I needed.

What is your relationship with faith like nowadays?

That's a tough question because I still go to church from time to time, which isn't really crucial, in my opinion. You can have a relationship with God, whatever that means. Different people have different definitions of what God is. It's really hard to discuss this. But it's definitely something that's always there at the back of my head. Not an audible voice, but I keep debating.

A higher power?

Within myself. It's called belief for a reason. I can't really be sure. What I do know for sure, though, is that belief helped me in some very difficult moments. I have a very clear feeling of something out there reaching out to me in this period of depression and despair.

Do you have plans to release an album or any music related to this belief?

I did a song for everything I released during Easter in 2018. It's not like I have a great desire to release a full album. But if it happens, it happens. I have some songs that clearly go in that direction. But I also don't exclude these thoughts from current lyrics. There are definitely hints of my faith in certain songs.

Today, despite the outcome, what is your assessment of your work with Kamelot?

I joined Kamelot at a time when the band wasn't big. Then we teamed up with Sasha and Miro, the producers in Germany, and everything just kept growing. Every album sold more, every tour was more successful. It was a joyride out of this world. Thomas and I were a very complementary team, both in terms of songwriting and business together. So, it was really cool. I'm very grateful for all those years. We still keep in touch. We still do business together since we own those albums together. So there are always decisions to be made and, you know, things that need to be done.