TALES OF THE OLD is a Symphonic Dark Ambient Power Metal band from Athens, Greece. The band was founded in 2010 by keyboard player Mike Tzanakis who is also the main composer and arranger of their music
His love for Symphonic Metal acts like Rhapsody, Nightwish, Therion, Haggard and such, led him to form a band and contribute to this genre with a more Dark version of his favorite music. The classical orchestrations are entwined with lyrics inspired by the Medieval Era
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Hello Mike Tzanakis, how are you doing?

Hello Heiko, fine. Thanx.

We are in the middle of this Covid Pandemic, or whatever people may think of it. How you, your family and the other musicians you are working with are Doing at the moment?

Covid Pandemic… What a madness, I still cannot believe the moments we lived, especially the first days of the pandemic, i was stunned from all these news and images of despair,  that was coming from all over the world… It was something really shocking … I hope we get out of this mess quickly and return to normalcy. Fortunately for me and my family so far everything has gone well no one got sick and I hope we continue like this. As for the other musicians , I haven’t heard anything bad about their health, at least as far as those I have been in contact.

When was the last time you where playing live before An audience or Saw another band playing live..?

The last time I played live, I have a hard time remembering … They certainly go back many years. As for the last time I saw the band live, it was also many years ago, but it is well etched in my memory. May be the best live concert I ever been το Sonisphere Festival in Greece where, except the mighty 4: Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth, Mastοdon, Bullet For Μy Valentine and Stone Sour played also, among other great bands! So you can imagine how great it was!

Please tell us about: The Book Of Chaos, the album Will see the light of Day on September 17th, 2021? The writing process, time in the studio etc..?

The whole process was difficult, demanding and very time consuming … If you only think about how many people participated and worked to release this album … At the beginning the music was recorded, then the choirs with the main guest singers and at the end the rest of the guests. The most important of all was the fact that I knew exactly what and how I wanted it … From the style to the melodies of the voice.All the musicians are awesome characters and they did everything they could to approach the songs exactly as I had them in mind. I worked with scores up to voice guides especially with the people recording from their own studios. Overall it was a fun and creative process.

Who was responsible for the great artwork of the album?

Responsible for the cover artwork & layout is George Zacharoglou. Another wonderful person, collaborator and artist, who I had the honor to work with. What can I say about George? Whatever I say will not be enough, he took the vision of colors and design styles I had in mind, and in combination with the lyrics and music, he produced the result you see. I could never have imagined a better visualization of the album.

You have organised a great team around you recording the new album; Bob Katsionis from Firewind, Sakis Tolis from Rotting Christ, Fabio Lionel, Rhapsody… That’s a great collaboration…?

 Exactly as you say I could not express it better … The most important thing of course is that it is not just some random participations of just some famous and successful musicians / singers who came in, just to raise the level of the album … These are essential participations and very important for the album to get the color and style I imagined. If you told me 10 years ago that the legend of black metal in Greece Sakis Tolis, one of my 3 favorite singers Fabio Lione and the man next to me from my very first musical steps until now, Bob Katsionis, would participate in my debut album , I would definitely pass you off as crazy. I feel truly blessed, a dream come true.

How did you get in contact with Pride & Joy Music, Germany, who are releasing the new album?

The contact was made through the company Angels Pr. It all started a year ago, when finally after a long time I had the opportunity to get involved with music again. So I was looking for a way to promote my debut album to record companies, when Bob proposed to me this specific management company. Everything happened very quickly. I got in touch with Marian, one of its two founding executives (Stelios is the other one), she briefly explained to me the services they could provide, and without any second thoughts I assigned them to promote the album … Something for which even now a year later I have not regretted in the slightest. All the Crew is fantastic, hardworking and very kind, it is a very good, reliable and serious company. I believe that in combination with Pride and Joy they will do their best to promote the album.

Please tell us about the lyrics of the album? Are you also influenced lyrically what is happening on the planet right now?

Of course I am affected. How could I not ? However, the lyrics come from a fantastic story that I am writing at the same time. All the pieces are taken from there and each of them is a small part of it. Certainly through the lyrics I pass quite allegorical deeper meanings, regarding life, the world and the times we live in, which I really prefer to let the listeners discover on their own.

How did you get involved in the metal scene? What where the first bands that introduced you into the metal realm..?

Everything started from a playlist accidentally fell into my hands from my older brother’s computer … This playlist was my first contact with Heavy Metal music and with mighty Rhapsody who were to become my favorite band and one of the reasons to deal with the music. The first track I fell in love was Emerald Sword, after that i started looking for more until the momment I heard that Power Of The Dragonflame had just been released. That album changed my life and Rhapsody took the highest place in my heart. In the meantime I had already started my first timid efforts in composing music and lyrics without having reached the musical path I wanted to follow. So as you understand this stimulus came at the right time …

Do you have a last word or something that’s on your heart you want to share with us?

Yes of course … For a start I would like to thank you and BONAVOX for this wonderful interview and the opportunity you give me to present the album to the world. Then I would like to thank in advance the people and the press who has or intends to deal with our album. I would also like to tell people to give the album a chance, to listen to it from an open mind and sceptical side, I know that it is definitely not the most commercial and fancy one, you can find out there … As I know very well, that it is not the Power Metal revolution, it is just our humble and different proposal for our favorite kind, from a clearly darker, aggressive and perhaps fresh perspective. I wish health and courage to the whole world in these difficult times we live in. Have a great day!