Interview with Dimitris Theodorou of Illusory

We welcome Dimitris Theodorou from Illusory, a band that has helped shape the heavy metal scene in Greece since the 90s. Founded as Ivory Tower in 1992, Illusory has gone through ups and downs challenges, but their dedication to music and close relationship with their fans keep them strong and relevant.

In this interview, Dimitris reveals the history of the band, talks to us about the creative process of their upcoming album, the influences that have shaped their sound, and their eagerness to reconnect with the audience.

Illusory return with new music and concerts, ready to offer a unique experience at the HolyWood stage on June 13. With the support of Destiny Calls, the evening promises to be full of energy and strong melodies, as Illusory invite us to become part of their musical adventure.

Welcome, Dimitris! For those who haven't watched your other interviews in general and also on Metalourgio, we would like you to start by telling us a few words about the history of the band.

Good evening and thank you very much for your hospitality and interest.

Essentially, the band was founded in Moschato in 1992, under the name Ivory Tower. I remember then “choosing” it through the lyrics of “Be Quick Or Be Dead”. Unfortunately, possibly due to the young age of the members or – if you want – and the vision at the time, regarding the future of the band, the name was not registered. The result was that just a few years later, a German band would be named that way and officially release their first album. That was it, Ivory Tower was simply lost. Of course, in 2013 we could have fought for this name, since we had in our hands a review of our demo by the Greek Metal Hammer in a 1994 issue, which practically proved that we were ahead of the times. Our legal advisor advised us not to do it for various reasons, mainly commercial ones. The truth is that this had cost us a lot…

So the band is essentially the natural continuation of Ivory Tower. A few things then… Some live shows, some compositions on our own songs, but due to many obligations – army, studies – the band disbanded in 1998. The dream remained, however… After 2004 we started again, found some new members and slowly started rehearsing and composing our own material. This was what we always wanted, and not just to be a cover band. In 2006, we released the promo album “The Ivory Tower” on our own, with the idea of ​​finding a label. For several years, we played many live shows, in every venue in Athens, including supporting Blue Oyster Cult, in the summer of 2008, at the Vrachon Theater. In mid-2011, we found a label, agreed on them, and so we entered the studio to record, under professional standards, our first official album. “The Ivory Tower” – now under the name ILLUSORY. We came up with this name for a very important reason, for us, “Ivories”. Its interpretation is the same as one of the interpretations of “Ivory Tower” and that is “illusionary”.

Having a long history in the industry (including the Ivory Tower period), what do you consider to be the challenges of maintaining your authenticity as a band, after almost three decades?

The love for Heavy Metal, as well as the family atmosphere that has prevailed in our band since then, even after several member changes. The band is our second family, iCave studio our second home and our music our children. I think we are very lucky to have this bond and this path.

“The Ivory Tower” was released in 2006, as the band’s self-titled album. These are definitely tracks that we still listen to today, especially after the album's release in 2013. How would you describe the feeling when you play a song you wrote almost twenty years ago to a new audience?

The songs on the first album have a huge emotional value for us. Songs that really give us goosebumps whenever we play them live, they awaken memories, images and early emotions. They are our springboard on this journey, the cornerstone of our music and we owe them everything!

What are the most influential bands for your music?

There are quite a few, basically more or less all the giants that laid the foundation for all the other bands that followed. We have influences from Maiden, Metallica, Sabbath, Priest, Helloween, Queensryche, Savatage, Manowar, Fates Warning, Crimson Glory, even Pantera and several more.

Is there any unusual source of inspiration that has shaped the theme of any of your tracks?

Not particularly. We are not a "thematic" band, we write lyrics about almost everything, but mainly social ones.

We know you're in a creative phase right now, as you're preparing new songs for your upcoming album. Tell us about that process. Any changes or influences to your sound, if there's a specific theme, and most importantly, when can we expect it?

We have been in the recording process for quite some time. Since 2008 we have had our own studio, iCave, and this allows us to record in comfort and pay attention to the smallest detail. We are currently recording guitars, we have a lot of time ahead of us, so we will probably be ready for the next release around Christmas. We are really looking forward to this album! I have the impression that the next album will sound very close to “Crimson Wreath” and maybe a little “harder”…

Amidst all this frenzy of creation, recording, and everyday life, a live performance was also planned at the Holywood stage on Friday, June 13. Is there any special element or surprise that you have planned?

We suddenly had the need to play live. We really like it. So we unanimously decided to do some rehearsals in parallel with the recordings, we made a setlist from our entire discography and we really want to present it on the HolyWood stage, where we will play for the first time. We will also be joined by a new band, Destiny Calls, who, in addition to being our friends, are also excellent musicians, with many years of experience. They very recently released their first album entitled “Alive”.

What is the biggest challenge you face when preparing a setlist for a Live show? Is there a track you think just can't be left out?

The challenges for the setlist are always great and always have to do with the situation the band is in. If they do a series of Live to promote a release or if they do a best of. In both of these cases we operate absolutely democratically. Essentially we all vote for songs that we think fit each respective occasion and which ones have the greatest popularity. There is of course one song that is rarely missing from our set and that is “Ivory Tower”, our first ten-minute composition from our first album. This particular song combines everything that ILLUSORY is and has even “paved” the way for the habit of having a ten-minute song for the end on each of our albums. We did the same in “Polysyllabic” with “Swan Song”, as well as in “Crimson Wreath” with “Fortress Of Sadness”.

What is the "imprint" you want to leave through your upcoming Live? What would you like the fans to "keep" from that night?

The band is back in action. We want to reconnect with the people who will come and our concern is that this people have a beautiful night.

If you could teach the new generation of musicians about Heavy Metal, what would be the three most important lessons you would give them?

The first would be to learn to listen with their ears and not with their eyes. Unfortunately, music is now directly intertwined with the image of a clip or even with the image of the bands. The essence was, is and must remain the music itself. The second most important lesson would be to have dedication to their goal and not to give up at the first difficulty. For the third and last I leave the most important. To not let vanity arise within them. To learn to cooperate democratically and to count on the other members of their band. Strength in unity.

Heavy metal is aging. The biggest legends in our music are stepping back as they get older, and we’re growing up with them. What are your thoughts on the future of the genre, and how do you guys handle it as artists?

Unfortunately, this is a bitter truth. The genre must continue and new bands must be given space to take the reins. People must give opportunities to newer bands and invest in them, so that they can stand the test of time and perform at their best.

How do you see the music industry evolving in relation to Heavy Metal?

Things haven't been going well for many years, that's for sure. We all hope that things will change soon, that vinyl will continue to rise and that illegal digital distribution of music will stop. Fortunately, Heavy Metal is in a much better situation than most other genres. A large percentage of the public buys material and supports the bands by attending concerts.

How do you think technology could affect the way you create music in the coming years?

I don't like the whole thing about home productions. Sure, technology can help a band with compositions and pre-production, but the end result can never be compared to what comes out of a studio with good technical equipment and know-how. Just like I don't like the entry of AI into the music industry. All the magic and the human factor is lost. I really hope this whole project collapses.

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of advice when you were starting out, what would it be?

I would advise me to take more risks...

We know that there is one more Live that we are expecting on October 4th at the Frida stage in Patras. What else does the future hold for Illusory? Are there any other concerts in the works?

We are in talks for some more live shows in other cities in Greece and we will soon finalize the dates. The most important thing is the next release and the live schedule that will follow.

Thank you very much for this interview. Is there anything you would like to say to our readers?

Thank you very much for your love and support over the years. Of course, we look forward to seeing you at the HolyWood stage, with Destiny Calls, on Friday, June 13th!

Shine On The Ivories!

The interview was conducted by Anna Dimou