Building on a strong lineage of gloomy yet melodic Punk bands coming out of every corner of Europe in the past 15 years, Athens’ Chain Cult is another argument for placing that side of the Atlantic at the top of the game.
Following a demo in 2018 that quickly caught the attention of powerhouse Punk label La Vida Es Un Mus, the band released the Isolated EP in 2018 and their first LP, Shallow Grave, in 2019. Their melodic, dark sounding Post-Punk is full of looping, chorus-laden guitars and vocal hooks. If the music can seem weirdly uplifting at time, the lyrics are a pure textbook to lighting the world on fire and watching it burn.
Jay handles bass and vocal duties in Chain Cult and previously spent time in Hardcore Punk band Lifewreck. We spoke a few weeks ago, at the height of the Covid lockdowns, right around the time they were set for a North American tour.
What have you been listening to the most lately?
I’ve been listening to some French Punk lately. After our last tour in France, last December, I got to meet many great people, like YOUTH AVOIDERS for example, TRAITRE, LITOVSK, BLEAKNESS. Also, KRONSTADT, SYNDROM. You know them?
Some of them, yes. I really like Bleakness. Actually, I discovered them just recently, right around the time I heard Chain Cult for the first time.
We worked together in France for 10 or 12 shows. Great people and awesome music if you’re into this kind of dark, bleak music with chorus all over. Also lately, outside of Punk, I’m listening to KING DUDE, some Americana, Folk music. CHELSEA WOLFE. Also some British Punk, CHUBBY AND THE GANG, it’s a new release from Static Shock and it’s really good. So that’s about the new albums I’m listening to.
What would you say is the album that you’ve listened to the most in your life?
The most in my life is probably MISFITS Static Age. Maybe between this and the RAMONES, they are probably the two bands I’ve listened to the most but I think Misfits is the one.
What’s your favorite means of discovering new music? Is it live? On records? Through friends’ recommendation? Just browsing the internet?
I read many interviews from the bands I’m into so I’m trying to find out what they’re listening to and try to discover them by myself. Also, of course, through live shows, and through friends’ recommendations, if somebody tells me “Hey, Jason, there is this great band coming.” Then, if I like this band, I’m trying to find similar artists in the same vein, so I get to learn about new bands this way. We also discovered a lot through Chain Cult, the last year through touring and meeting new people. So I discovered many, many, many new bands that I didn’t even know existed. We also became friends with most of them too.
What’s the first thing that strikes you when you listen to new music? Is there anything that you’re looking for? Maybe an instrument or a vibe, etc?
It depends on the style. Sometimes, I’m looking for some good lyrics and I want to see their point of view. Sometimes, you just want some really raw Hardcore Punk stuff. I want to feel the vibe and see how true they believe in it and how they deliver it. But for instruments, I’m not looking for anything specific. I’m not so peculiar, I just like regular stuff.
What are some of your favorite lyrics? It can be a song, specific lines or just the general body of work of a lyricist.
Of course, the best thing is to have a catchy riff with a catchy chorus and great lyrics but you don’t get that all the time. Maybe the whole package is how some bands offer us their point of view and the artwork and the feeling they decided to get through mixing and the mastering and how they sound. Specifically on lyrics, I mostly like songs that can be related to my life or to an experience that I had. This is when I feel close to a record. So yeah, it’s not about an artist specifically but a general feeling. It’s many, many things, not a specific one. I mean, I really respect bands that have political lyrics, which you don’t see very often nowadays. Not the cheesy political lyrics, something more deep, in depth, or at least maybe some strange point of view. I mean, not right wing or something like that but something I haven’t thought about and makes me think more about specific aspects of life.
Do you remember the first time music had an impact on you?
My family was into music so I had this music experience when I was really young, but let’s say for Punk, I remember I was really, really young and I bought the OFFSPRING Smash tape. I remember listening to it in my Walkman and I didn’t have my room back then, I was in my family’s room and I couldn’t explain what I was listening to. I was really shocked. I listened to the album, like five times on repeat, so I realized that okay, this is it. This is what a perfect album must sound like. Then after that, it happened to me many, many times when I discovered new genres of music as I was growing up, from Punk to Post-Punk to Hardcore to Crust to some Metal stuff. Every time I discovered something new or a band that really had something to say, I felt the same thing all the time.
Is there any music that you share with your parents? Something you both equally love?
No, not so much. I wouldn’t say that. When I talk to them about Chain Cult, like if we’re going on tour or whatever, they still remember my first bands that were more extreme and they always say “oh, okay, you’re still in this band that you scream all together and make noise?” So they can’t separate one genre from another but they’re happy and supportive either way. But no, we can’t share music. We don’t listen to the same music. They’re 30 years older than me, so it would probably be strange.
What are some of the most memorable shows that you’ve seen in your life? What makes them stand out?
Probably the most important ones are the ones that you see in the beginning, when you’re really young. But I can remember one six or seven years back, it was CATHARSIS. They play this Crust Hardcore stuff. I really love this band. It was the whole package, as I said before the lyrics, the aesthetics, the attitude. The music is awesome. I got to see them on their last European tour in Czech, at Fluff Fest, I think. It was one of the most intense shows I’ve ever seen in my life. It was just perfect because I love the band and I knew that I wouldn’t see them live again for some reason. I was stunned and couldn’t move and I was watching the band. I think the band were crying at the same time also because they felt the energy that was so intense so I think everybody who was there in this festival that night with Catharsis, felt the same thing as me. This is one of the most intense experiences I have had.
I go to shows very often. If I can, every month I go to two or three shows. So maybe I can talk about some recent shows have I’ve been to. Like, the band S.H.I.T. from Canada. They played in Athens a couple of weeks ago, a few days before the lockdown. It was one of the most intense Hardcore shows I’ve ever seen in many, many years. They delivered a great Hardcore show.
But sometimes, some small local show with a young people attending and ready to break everything up and set a fire here in Greece, maybe this is as good as a show from an international band or whatever. This is an experience I also really love. I can’t remember any specific right now but I can say those two for sure.
Oh, another show that I really loved was TRAGEDY. I think it was 2009 and they played in a university. In Greece, Crust Punk was really popular so there were so many fans, it was like 1000 people attending. Everybody was so anxious to see them. There was riots after, with Molotov cocktails and all that so it was a proper Punk experience. Even the band was shocked to see what was going on and how intense were things. You can watch the show, it’s on video on the internet, and you can get a glimpse.
Growing up, what was the biggest local band in your area? One that really inspired you?
When I was younger, I was much into Crust Punk. In Greece, we have a big past in the Crust Punk Rock community. It was guys from CHAOTIC END (Χαοτικό Τέλος), and HIBERNATION that I really loved. Of course, the guys came also to the shows, so we became friends. When I saw Hibernation for the first time, Chaotic End was on hiatus at the time, I was really anxious to see them. You know, with my dreadlocks back then and all that so. It was an inspiration for me to see that kind of legend in my eyes and at the same time, these people were so approachable and so into DIY Punk music. Even though they were 20 years older than us, they still came to the shows and supported. They were kind of a legend.
Actually, the day of the Tragedy show, there was another legendary Greek Punk band playing the same day. They did a reunion and they didn’t know about the Tragedy show. It was GENERATION OF CHAOS (Γενιά Του Χάους). It’s an old 80’s band, really, really important, let’s say, Punk or Anarcho Punk and Post Punk all together, and everybody was into it. The lyrics are top. They’re in Greek but they’re so bleak and lyrical and it’s about death, but not in the cheesy way but in a very deep way. They had a very fresh sound and they were really radical in their time. So the same day, it was Generation of Chaos and Tragedy playing so you had to choose and see the Greek legends or the Crust legends…so I missed the Greek legends. But anyway, I think Hibernation and Generation of Chaos are the most legendary local bands in Greece, in my opinion. One from Crust Punk background and the other one from a Anarcho Post Punk background.
Is there any band that you’ve always wanted to see, but just never got a chance to catch them?
Yeah, the problem with Greece until 10 or 15 years ago, it wasn’t a touring place. Bands didn’t usually visit Athens or Greece in general so I could say many, many American bands, from the RAMONES or the MISFITS, or really big bands that toured Europe, but never came to Greece. Or they came but not with a full lineup, Jerry Only, for example, or some of the Misfits, but I’ve never seen DANZIG, for example in my life. I could name many, many bands. I was lucky to see PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES two or three years ago, I thought that I would never see them. Soberphobia is one of my favorite albums. I also was too young to see the WIPERS, or DEAD MOON and it’s too late now, they can’t come back. So yeah, I’m just trying to be positive and find new bands to inspire me and wait for them to come. Nowadays, I try to also travel myself and if there’s a band I always wanted to see, I will travel to other countries and just not wait for them to come to Athens anymore.
Yeah, that’s the spirit!
For me, it’s more important than spending money, buy a plane ticket, go just see the show, pay the ticket, go back…for me, it’s the whole experience. It’s worth it.
Is there any classic or universally acclaimed artists that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later? Or, perhaps something that you didn’t like at first but grew to love?
Maybe I would say…it’s not the same question, but I’m going to answer it…I was really into BAD RELIGION when I was really young but I got over them really fast. They came to Greece and I snubbed it, like “Come on, it’s Bad Religion. I don’t care!” All of my friends went and they said, “okay, they still got it. They’re the best.” From that day, I started listening to Bad Religion again and now I was like, “fuck, I missed the show!” Because I was such a snob to go see them. Now, I really regret that I missed the show.
A born again fan!
Yeah, exactly. I always have one of their record in my phone, when we go out for a vacation or a tour. There’s a time that I want to play these songs and I have them with me. Now, I am into them again but I missed this show.
Do you have any unpopular music opinion that you’d like to defend? Stuff that you really love but can hardly find anyone to agree with you?
I was into Black Metal a lot, many, many years back. Mostly into this noisy stuff so even people who listen to Black Metal right now, they don’t really understand when I talk to them about it. Like this band BLASPHEMY, I love this kind of stuff, it’s very Punk to my ears. But I can’t even share it with other Punks who listen to Black Metal because they’re not into that kind of noise.
I told you I listen to some Folk music. I really like this kind of stuff. Like KING DUDE I was telling you about before but I think they’re getting a following right now in other scenes that accept Folk, like similar Country style music. This guy seems to be getting more popular nowadays so it’s not so underground anymore but I really love this kind of music.
Is there any more up and coming band that you’d like to recommend?
I would say the guys from BLEAKNESS of course, who released their last album. I think they’re very, very good. I will recommend some Greek bands. I would say GAY ANNIVERSARY, they play something like Punk with a drum machine but really fast and really energetic with catchy lyrics and I mean, it’s in Greek, but you can see everybody’s singing with them at their shows. Also NURSE OF WAR, from Greece, it’s in the same style as the previous one. My friends from EDUCATION from Italy, we played some songs together, it’s more Post-Punk. I would say LITOVSK, it’s not so up and coming, I think they’re established but I love this band. You could check out ERA OF FEAR, it’s Post-Punk, more Anarcho-Punk but with synthesizer and all that. Some members live in Germany, so they’re not very active.
Also, another legendary band from Greece, ANTIMOB, they just release the new album, which is awesome. And it’s one of the best Greek albums released yet. They are not very hard workers, they released the last album six or seven years back, but every time they do, it’s great. If ever you get to see them live, it will be one in a lifetime. In Greece, they’re supposed to be a legend but they don’t play so, for a lot of people, the answer to your previous question, Antimob would be a at band they would like to see. But I’ve seen them twice!
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