Still a young band, Be'lakor is a name that will be unfamiliar to the majority of readers. Putting that aside, they have just released their debut album to great acclaim amongst the press and if you're yet to hear them, they are nothing short of amazing. We caught up with front-man and guitarist George Kosmas to find out how things are going and also to give those unfamiliar, an insight into the band.

Metal Mayhem: Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and the rest of the band?
George Kosmas: Sure, my name is George Kosmas and I'm a guitarist and vocalist. Other members are Shaun Sykes (lead guitars), Jimmy Vanden Broeck (Drums), John Richardson (bass) and Steven Merry (keyboards/piano).

MM: How long has the band been together?
GK: We formed in mid-2004, so that would make it three years.

MM: Where did you get the name Be'lakor? Is there any meaning behind it?
GK: Be'lakor is a character name we derived from the fantasy world of Warhammer, which several of our members enjoyed. The name itself has no particular significance; we chose it because it was short, sharp and phonetically pleasant.

MM: Coming onto your self released debut, how happy are you all with the finished product? GK: I'd say we're reasonably happy. Given that The Frail Tide is a largely self produced, tightly budgeted effort with some professional assistance towards the end of the process; the audio quality is quite good. We're certainly looking to get an even higher standard on the next album. I think we're all very pleased with the visual elements of the CD. MM: Are you surprised at all by how the album has been received amongst the press? GK: Yes, quite surprised. Although we like our songs, we do feel that being our older material there is room for improvement. We've had an almost overwhelmingly positive response so far, so we're extremely pleased to say the least.

MM: "The Frail Tide" is a very creative album, is there one or two writers or do you all contribute musically and lyrically?
GK: Thank you! The Frail Tide was a product of the whole band's work; we all enjoy collaborating with one another.

MM: Are there any themes or concepts regarding the album? Lyrically, what things do you explore?
GK: There are no predominant themes on the album, each of the songs stand alone and generally tell their own tale. There is a strong sense of natural mythology and fable in most of the lyrics, giving the reader/listener's imagination an opportunity to get involved. Other songs are more assertive and aggressive in their message.

MM: For those who haven't heard you guys yet, what can they expect?
GK: In a nutshell, I would say epic, dark and emotive melodic death metal. We are generally guitar driven, but we also use quite a lot of piano and strings effects. I think our songs cater to the listener who enjoys a strong atmosphere in their music.

MM: How about samples or streaming media, do you have downloads or a Myspace where people can listen?
GK: Sure, listeners can access streaming media at http://www.myspace.com/belakor. The songs available here can also be downloaded at a higher quality from http://www.triplejunearthed.com/belakor.

MM: As a band, where do you draw your main influences? GK: As individuals we all listen to quite different music, and it's been very strange actually as many reviews have argued that we sound like this or that band which nobody in Be'lakor has heard of let alone listened to! Our musical tastes range across a broad spectrum from Black/Death/Thrash Metal to more progressive and classical music. Thematically we're influenced heavily by pagan mythology and fables (especially Greek and Celtic), and any other stories or ideas that might capture our imagination. The natural world is also a great source of inspiration for us. MM: How about live performances? Have you played many shows yet and how did the go? GK: We've played many shows in our home city of Melbourne, with the biggest probably being our CD launch (in front of over 200 people). We've been fortunate enough to establish a small but loyal following at home which makes all of our gigs a lot of fun.

MM: Are there any planned tours/festivals/gigs this year?
GK: Yes, we're honoured to be playing at the Sonic Forge festival on the 14th July with 12 of Australia's biggest current metal bands. Any interested parties in Melbourne can find the details at http://www.myspace.com/welkinentertainment. We're also playing several smaller shows around Melbourne over the next few months, details are available on our myspace.

MM: So what are Be'lakor's plans now for the immediate future? What do you hope to achieve before the end of this year?
GK: We're currently working on new material for the next album. Our immediate goals are to promote the Frail Tide as much as we can and hopefully secure some support from a label for the next album. This would really enable us to record at the highest quality and get our music out to the masses.

MM: How about in say 5 years time, where would you like to be?
GK: We'd like to be in a position where we can record and release our material regularly to an international audience. Australia has a very dedicated and passionate metal scene, but it is quite small unfortunately. We'd really like to project the fruits of our labour to a wider audience. A few international tours wouldn't go astray either!

MM: Finally, and most importantly, as "The Frail Tide" is self-released where can people pick up a copy from? GK: The easiest method is via our myspace (www.myspace.com/belakor), where we have a paypal function for any global purchases. Alternatively, people can email the band directly at belakor-admin@hotmail.com to work out another method. MM: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few of our questions. Are there any last words for our readers? GK: Thank you very much for the interest, it's greatly appreciated. Support the underground!

Chris Rogers