Crimson Moon: How did the band get started?
George M.: The band formed back in 2017 after a conversation I had with vocalist Aris Pirris. I wanted for a long time to make music with Aris as I was a big fan of his voice. After awhile my long time friend and band mate Akis Rooster and George Karlis joined in and the line up completed.
Crimson Moon: What kind of music do you play?
George M.: We play heavy rock music. Loud guitars, big rhythm section and songs with massive guitar riffing and choruses that everyone can sing. We want to make memorable songs and to bring back that 70’s and 90’s feel, that bands like Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden introduced to the music world.
Crimson Moon: How has the band response been?
George M.: Before our debut album released back in May 2020 we had played some live gigs in our hometown Athens, Greece and the response to our new songs was pretty good. You know we are well known musicians here in our hometown cause we also in well known metal bands so people know what can they expect from us. After the release of our album unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to do more lives because of Covid-19, but the album received enthusiastic reviews from the majority of the Rock and metal press, something that we really appreciate.
Crimson Moon: Where did the band name come from?
George M.: Well, we worked on our first album in Aris’ home studio… a basement that used to be a wine cellar. One night, while working on a song, we were searching for a band name. The idea for Cellar Stone was born and we kept it.
Crimson Moon: Introduce the band members.
George M.: I’m George Maroulees on guitar and on backing vocals, Aris Pirris is on guitar and Vocals, Akis Rooster on bass and last but not least George Karlis on Drums.
Crimson Moon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
George M.: We’ve released one full length album called “One Fine Day” on May 2020. It consists of 10 heavy rock tunes and we’ve released it independently.
Crimson Moon: Tell me about some of the songs on the latest CD?
George M.: The songs that we believe stand out from our debut album are Breaking From Inside, One Fine Day, Wasted Tears, Found My Way and Live While You’re Alive. These are songs that we love to play live, they have a great response on rock radios and people react really well to them. Every song on the album has it’s own story and anyone can find elements that they can relate to, in them.
Crimson Moon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
George M.: On the first album Aris (Pirris) and I wrote the music. The lyrics were written by Aris and lyricist Fofi Roussos.
Crimson Moon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
George M.: Although, like I said previously, each song has a story of it’s own, in general they speak of various trials and tribulations that we all go through more or less…. And the storms we have to weather….. and there is also a bit of a political frustration there as well…..something that affects us all I think.
Crimson Moon: Has the Covid Pandemic impacted the band at all?
George M.: Of course the situation with COVID-19 has impacted us. As I said before we didn’t have the chance to promote the album with live gigs. It has been very difficult for every band out there especially for newcomers that need gigs to move them along…..The whole situation with the virus is very sad…. People are feeling uncertain about the future and music takes a back seat in lives. So yes from a personal and a musical point of view, the pandemic affected us a lot.
Crimson Moon: Do you have any side projects?
George M.: Yes. I play the guitar in a metal band called Diviner and George Karlis plays the drums on a band called The Slayerking. We love both our bands and we do our best to promote them as much as we can.
Crimson Moon: What is the music scene like where you guys are from?
George M.: The music scene here in Athens, Greece is pretty active actually. We have lots of new bands that record and tour their albums on the rock metal spectrum. The bands that are most well known and established all these years, like Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh, Firewind are also very active and recognized globally. So yes our scene is really well known and I think that everyone knows that the Greek bands can hold their own alongside other international acts, in every aspect.
Crimson Moon: Who are some of your musical influences?
George M.: We are four different people / musicians that happen to have different musical influences individually, but in a magical way we managed to filter all these influences and that makes the unique sound Cellar Stone has. Bands like Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Alice In Chains, Stone Sour, Black Stone Cherry and Shinedown are our reference points and our sound direction.
Crimson Moon: What is the band like when you play live?
George M.: We are definitely a live band. Our main goal is to write music that will sound live, exactly as we recorded on the album. The interaction with our fans it’s the key for us. Every live show we play is a different story and we try to make it unique for us and for the people that come to see us. So if you witness a Cellar Stone live gig you will find that we believe in every note we play and every moment is dedicated to our fans.
Crimson Moon: Have you guys ever played in another country?
George M.: No, unfortunately we haven’t had the chance to play outside of Greece yet. But as soon as the conditions from the COVID-19 situation allow, we will definitely tour. So, hopefully 2022 we’ll be on stage near you.
Crimson Moon: How has the fan response been to the band?
George M.: The response to our debut album during the live shows we’ve played so far, is really good and we would like to thank all our fans out there. We promise that we will do our best to play as many gigs as we can and meet you wherever we can play a live show.
Crimson Moon: What made you want to be in this band?
George M.: First of all, we are all long time friends and we love spending time together sharing our musical vision. It’s really hard to find members in a band that have the same vision and passion for music. We also believe that we have an excellent chemistry on stage. This is very important for us and for our fans… that we get out there every night and play every note with our heart. If you feel good with your band mates on stage, people watching can really pick up open that.
Crimson Moon: If you weren’t in this band would you still be involved in the music industry?
George M.: You know, my life is surrounded by music. I’m a guitar teacher and I do a lot of guitar sessions in studios or in live situations for other bands. So yes, I’m involved in the music industry in one way or another, simply because I can’t imagine my life without it.
Crimson Moon: As a musician what advice can you give to fellow musician just starting out?
George M.: I think that the most important thing that I could say would be, be real. Love what you do and enjoy it without worrying about what comes next….. have a clear vision of what you want… and then, just enjoy the ride.
Crimson Moon: What does the future hold for the band?
George M.: Our second album is ready and will be released in 2022 by ROAR Records. We are really proud of this album. We hope to tour in support of both albums in 2022, as the COVID situation gets better. Like I said before, we are a live band, and we love to be on stage and make new friends. So, we hope that we will be on a stage near you real soon. ROCK ON.
Contact them at:
https://www.facebook.com/cellarstoneband
https://www.instagram.com/cellarstoneofficial/
https://cellarstone.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd13Zqon0EAgKapPRe8dg6Q
