SPEAK IN WHISPERS

"It's about making people feel something"

Cyprus’ rising progressive groove metal act on isolation, emotion, groove and building a future beyond the island.

Photo by Pantelis Michael (bear.cy)

Savino Live, Larnaca, Cyprus — April 24, 2026

Cyprus and metal — for many people, the connection still feels unexpected.

The Mediterranean island is usually associated with beaches, tourism or geopolitics, rarely with a modern and internationally ambitious metal scene. Yet for decades, Cyprus has quietly sustained a small but deeply passionate underground community somewhere between classic heavy metal traditions and a younger generation of bands increasingly looking beyond the island itself.

One of the most compelling of these newer acts is SPEAK IN WHISPERS from Larnaca.

The band has steadily become one of the most interesting modern metal projects to emerge from Cyprus in recent years — not only because of their music, but because of the journey behind it.

After appearing at Bloodstock Open Air last year, SPEAK IN WHISPERS recently won Wacken Metal Battle Greece, earning a place at Wacken Open Air 2026 as the first Cypriot band ever to perform at the festival — a historic moment for the local scene.

But what makes Speak in Whispers truly interesting goes beyond that achievement alone.

Their music combines groove-oriented and progressive metal with atmospheric textures, electronic elements and an unusually introspective emotional depth. Their songs rely less on heaviness for its own sake and more on mood, dynamics and emotional tension. Very quickly, it becomes clear that this is not a band trying to sound “modern” — but a band searching for its own identity.

Their rise has not gone unnoticed in Cyprus either.

The Press and Information Office of Cyprus recently produced a documentary focusing both on the band and the wider local metal scene surrounding their journey to Bloodstock Open Air — something that would have seemed highly unlikely for a modern Cypriot metal band only a few years ago.

I met the band on the evening of their final major residency concert at Savino Live in Larnaca. After eight years, an important chapter for the group was coming to an end.

Somewhere between soundcheck, nostalgia and anticipation for what comes next, we spoke about identity, music, emotion, the Cypriot scene — and why Wacken is not the destination, but only the beginning.

Let’s start at the beginning — how did everything come together?

Andreas (guitar):

The band started in early 2018 out of a previous project. Three of us had already been making music together before that band eventually fell apart.

Still, we felt there was something special in the chemistry between us, so we decided to continue and bring in new members.

At first, we basically became the house band here at Savino. We played monthly shows, mostly covers and music we personally grew up listening to.

At some point we realized: “We actually work really well together — why aren’t we writing our own material?”

Step by step, Speak in Whispers emerged from that process, eventually leading to our debut album CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURES.

Your music combines groove metal, progressive elements, modern metalcore influences, atmosphere and electronic textures. How would you describe your sound yourselves?

Andreas (guitar):

Honestly, our sound is still evolving. A lot of bands only fully discover their identity after one or two albums.

At the core, we’re definitely a groove- and riff-oriented metal band. The progressive elements are more like something layered on top rather than the main purpose.

We never want complexity just for the sake of being complex. If something becomes progressive, it’s because it makes emotional or rhythmic sense.

We want songs that create tension and movement — not tracks that are simply heavy from beginning to end.

For that, you need dynamics, contrasts, calmer moments and then sudden emotional explosions.

Andreas (vocals):

At the end of the day, it’s mainly about making people feel something.

If a song doesn’t trigger an emotional reaction, people probably won’t return to it a second time. That’s exactly what we try to avoid.

We don’t want to write heavy songs just to sound heavy.

Your music feels very detailed. Especially on headphones, you constantly discover small layers and nuances.

Andreas (guitar):

I’m really happy to hear that because that’s exactly our approach.

We think about songs more like small stories rather than simple “verse-chorus-finished” structures.

With a track like “Hollow,” for example, the chorus needed to feel oppressive and almost ghost-like because the song deals with despair and depression.

A huge uplifting chorus simply wouldn’t have worked emotionally.

I think music often grows over time. Some details only become noticeable after several listens. That’s something we personally love about albums from other bands as well.

The electronic and atmospheric elements also seem very important.

Andreas (guitar):

Absolutely. I partly come from an electronic music background myself, and I always wanted to bring those elements into the band.

Our other guitarist Antonis became increasingly involved with sound design and developed many of those textures himself.

But those synths and atmospheres are never the main focus. They exist to create additional emotion and depth.

They make the sound feel bigger and more modern without sacrificing heaviness.

Live, those parts run as playback — otherwise we’d probably need twenty-five members on stage. (laughs)

Andreas, your lyrics often feel introspective, sometimes almost spiritual or esoteric.

Andreas (vocals):

Yeah, that’s probably true.

Bands like Tool and A Perfect Circle definitely influenced me in that way.

I like lyrics that don’t explain everything completely, but instead leave room for personal interpretation.

At the same time, I still try to guide the listener emotionally.

A song like “Asteroid,” for example, could be interpreted as being about rebirth or reincarnation — while for somebody else it might simply be about second chances in life. Both are valid.

A lot of the lyrics also deal with religion, social structures and the feeling that people are constantly told they need to be “fixed” or should feel guilty about something.

Growing up in Cyprus, religion and tradition are very present, so naturally that affects you.

Visually, the band also has a very distinct identity. Your stage appearance with the dark body paint and almost samurai-like presence is immediately striking.

Andreas (vocals):

That developed very organically.

On stage, it almost feels like becoming another personality — like some kind of armor.

Once the makeup is on and I step onto the stage, something changes mentally. It’s difficult to explain.

And of course, visuals matter a lot nowadays. Attention spans have become shorter.

You need to engage people musically and visually at the same time.

But it’s not about shock value. I want people to leave a concert feeling like they genuinely experienced something.

Steph, your musical background is rather unusual for a modern metal band.

Steph (drums):

(laughs) Yeah, probably.

I originally studied jazz in Los Angeles and later classical percussion — and then somehow ended up in a metal band.

But honestly, everything in music connects somehow. Different genres introduce different ways of thinking.

Andreas (guitar):

And that’s exactly what makes it exciting.

Before Steph, we mostly had traditional metal drummers. He brings rhythmic ideas we never would have come up with ourselves.

That makes the music feel fresher and more unique.

How strongly does being from Cyprus influence you as a band?

Andreas (guitar):

Musically maybe not directly — but practically, absolutely.

Being a band on an island automatically means different conditions.

Most European bands can jump into a van and start touring immediately. For us, every tour means flights, equipment transport and much higher costs.

But that also forces us to work harder.

Our focus can’t remain only on Cyprus because the scene here is simply too small. That’s why we write in English and think internationally.

Eventually we want to tour, see different cities and truly bring this music into the world.

At the same time, the local scene feels incredibly supportive and close-knit.

Andreas (guitar):

It really is.

Everybody knows everybody. Most of us have played together in other bands at some point.

Even during competitions, bands support one another.

During Metal 2 the Masses, you would walk off stage and immediately start cheering for the next band — even though you were technically competing for the same slot.

If we don’t support each other here, who will?

Last year Bloodstock — now Wacken. How does that step feel?

Andreas (guitar):

Surreal, honestly.

Playing the biggest metal festival in the world is probably something that only happens once in a lifetime.

For us, it’s historic — not just for the band, but for the entire scene here.

But we don’t see Wacken as the goal. We see it as the next step.

It guarantees you nothing.

You still need to keep working, write better songs, play better shows and try to carry that momentum forward.

Does it feel like you’re also representing Cyprus there?

Andreas (guitar):

Definitely.

You feel like you’re representing something bigger than just yourselves.

Is there nervousness before a festival like that?

Andreas (guitar):

Not because of the performance itself.

Mostly because of logistics. (laughs)

Making sure the equipment arrives on time, everything works and no technical problems happen.

Once we’re on stage, we usually stop overthinking anyway. Then the music simply takes over.

After eight years, your residency at Savino Live is now ending. How does that feel?

Andreas (guitar):

It definitely feels like the end of an era.

Those eight years made us an incredibly strong live band.

Playing two- to two-and-a-half-hour sets month after month really bonds a group together.

But eventually you also realize how much energy goes into these regular shows — energy you actually need for new music, visuals, videos and touring.

That’s why the ending feels sad, but also necessary.

Where does the musical journey go next?

Andreas (guitar):

The second album is basically already written.

We want to start recording during the summer.

The sound stays true to our foundation — groove, atmosphere and progressive elements — but everything feels more mature and focused now.

This time we’re also working with a larger producer.

Not because we’re unhappy with the debut, but because we believe these songs can sound even bigger.

When you produce your own material, sometimes you’re simply too close to it. An outside perspective can be incredibly valuable.

Long term, what is the goal for Speak in Whispers?

Andreas (guitar):

That the band eventually becomes self-sustainable.

Not in some rockstar sense. Nobody expects millions or Grammys.

We simply want to tour, experience new cities and see people somewhere in the world singing our lyrics back to us.

That feeling — standing in a completely unfamiliar city and realizing somebody knows your songs — is difficult to describe.

That’s really what this is all about.

Which is exactly why Wacken feels less like an ending for Speak in Whispers — and more like the opening of a door.

New cities. New stages. New people.

After Bloodstock and their historic path toward Wacken Open Air, it feels like a completely new chapter is only just beginning for the band.

And perhaps somewhere along the way, a small metal band from a Mediterranean island suddenly becomes something much larger — something no longer dreamed of only by the band itself, but by an entire Cypriot metal scene.

Links

https://www.speakinwhispers.com

Bloodstock 2025 documentary