Interview with Marialena Trikoglou (Mystfall)

On the 21st of July, the Greek band Mystfall will be releasing their debut album “Celestial Vision”. Led by soprano vocalist Marialena Trikoglou, with her enchanting voice, the Symphonic Metal band has already released a music video for the title track of the album. Judging by the song released, Symphonic Metal fans are up for a treat when the rest of the album is released.

We had the chance to chat with Marialena and learn more about her music and upcoming debut while getting to know the person behind the talented musician.

Hello Marialena! I am very happy to chat with you. How are you and the rest of MYSTFALL doing?

Hello, it’s a pleasure for me to be here. Thank you for your invitation! We are all fine, getting ready for our upcoming shows.

Great to hear! You are on the verge of releasing a new album named “Celestial Vision”. What would you tell your fans to expect to hear when they listen to your upcoming release?

Well, I could tell that Mystfall is a symphonic metal band with many other influences. So if you are a fan of Epica and Nightwish you will like it a lot!

How would you describe your sound to someone who never got the chance to listen to your music before?

If you are a lover of symphonic music, battle music, and cinematic music also then you can give it a chance! I love metal but I’ve also studied opera so that kind of sound defined me a lot as a musician and singer. Mystfall for me is not only a symphonic metal band, it is a band that combines many sounds in it!! Big choirs, orchestral arrangements, epic elements, Celtic and oriental pinches and much more!

Very interesting! As an up-and-coming musician, what bands or musicians did you grow up listening to that you can say have inspired your approach to music?

As I said before, opera helped me to approach music in a different way. I can’t lie, Tarja was the singer who made me want to sing that kind of music. But except for Nightwish, Epica, Within Temptation etc, I was always a huge fan of Wagner. His music made me want to endure more in the world of epic, fantasy music with his huge orchestras and heavy sound that is always leaving me speechless. I also love battle and cinematic music like Two Steps from Hell and Thomas Bergensen and I am also a huge fan of Loreena McKennitt. I could write for hours about my influences in music but let’s stay in these for now.

Let’s play a game! I will set a scenario in an alternate universe with new rules and see how you’d react to the different situations. In a universe where humans can choose either to be able to teleport from one place to another or travel back and forth in time, which superpower would you pick?

Hmmm I’d like to be invisible I guess.

In a universe where money does not exist, but instead, people pay for things by making other people laugh, how rich would you be considered?

A millionaire! I love happiness and making others laugh, having a good time and helping as much as I can! I am always there, especially for my friends. Unfortunately, we are living in rough times and that’s something that we don’t care about so much or we are taking for granted.

In a universe where the senses of taste and hearing are mixed together, what food would you imagine your music would taste like?

Pasta with seafood which is also my favorite!! It’s a familiar taste with spicy touches where they are needed which makes you feel good tasting it.

In a universe where a sitcom-style theme song plays whenever you wake up announcing the start of your day, what would your song be?

Let’s say “Family Guy”. To be honest I am not a huge fan of these “happy” theme songs.

In a universe where you are an evil overlord, what object would you bind yourself with so you would never die?

A book of spells! All my life I had an admiration for everything dark and magic. I could be a witch in another universe easily!

In a universe that is a post-apocalyptic world flooded by zombies, would you be hiding in a safe house, on the run fighting zombies, or a zombie?

I would be hiding but I would also be prepared for a fight whenever I had the need to go outside.

What is the first law you’d change or make in a universe where you were chosen to rule a nation?

I think something that concerns me a lot right now! I would definitely make metal music one well-paid occupation and not a hobby. There are so many talented musicians out there and they have to do something else for a living. Pity!

Brilliant! Thank you for playing! I hope you enjoyed this game. What is your most treasured music-related memory?

It was when I had been in Venice for a master’s in opera. I had the chance to sing in the last house of Wagner where he died. After the concert, we also had the chance to drink champagne on the balcony of the house, where the view of the canals was like a dream. It was something that I will never forget in my entire life!

That is lovely! With our generation becoming more and more dependent on social media, do the pros of social media’s effect on the music industry outweigh the cons, in your opinion?

We have to admit that times are changing and we have to live in this era. That means that we have to embrace technology if we want our music to be listened to. To be honest I think that the internet gives you a huge opportunity to make your music known and sometimes for free. The only disadvantage is that there are so many bands playing close enough to your style, so it’s more easily for someone to say ok so many “same” bands. But still, I think that the pros outweigh the cons.

Have you ever experienced any kind of sexism in your professional life? What advice would you give our young readers who might experience any kind of discrimination?

Many times in my life! Luckily in recent years, I have many men who really admire me as a singer and that’s something very important for me. The only advice I can give is what I am always doing in my life. I work hard at what I love and I am trying to be better at it every single day! I am fully focused on music and always want to express my feelings through my songs and to make anyone who is listening to them feel my music. If someone is focusing only on my beauty and my music doesn’t mean something to him, he doesn’t deserve to be in my audience. Metal is not only for men and it has so many different and beautiful kinds where a woman can really shine. So believe in yourselves and in your music and that will be appreciated for sure!!

Great words! Thank you for the interview, Marialena. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

It was a pleasure! Thank you for this beautiful conversation! As I said before I’d like to say to anyone who is reading this and has the same dreams and visions never to give up on what they truly love. Sometimes you have no one but yourself by your side! But I think that any one of us is destined to do something in his life and if it’s that, you have to persevere no matter what!