Based in Athens but with their gaze fixed elsewhere — toward darker, more transcendental realms — Reflection Black are one of those bands that evolve quickly, quietly, and with real substance. From Entering Dreamtime to Last Stop to Nowhere, the project left behind its solitary beginnings and transformed into a tightly knit studio and live band with a clear identity, a shared vision, and a steadily growing presence within the contemporary dark scene.
By sharing the stage with both local and international acts such as Then Comes Silence and Scheitan, Reflection Black have gained invaluable experience, reflected both in the way they construct their live shows and in their overall philosophy. The dark club remains their natural habitat, where their music operates more directly, more intimately, almost ritualistically — without unnecessary filters.
As 2025 draws to a close, the band are preparing to unveil Burning Obsidian Star, an album they describe as their strongest and most cohesive work to date. With a more dominant role for the guitars, an occult atmosphere, and a strong emphasis on songwriting, Reflection Black are clearly looking ahead. In the interview that follows, they discuss their evolution, the importance of the live element, their relationship with the city, and the motto that keeps them in constant motion — a conversation well worth reading to the very end.
“Dreams Fade to Nothing” marks your return after two years. What does this single represent for Reflection Black today?
“Dreams Fade to Nothing” is the first clear step into the new era of Reflection Black. It is a characteristic example of our musical identity, combining Gothic Rock and Post-Punk as we envision them, with dark and occult themes. Both musically and aesthetically, it is quite indicative of the direction our upcoming new album, Burning Obsidian Star, will follow.
Compared to “Last Stop to Nowhere”, the sound of the new track feels more direct and intense. How did this sonic direction come about?
This new direction was not the result of a conscious decision to radically change our sound. The tracks that started to be written after Last Stop to Nowhere were increasingly based on guitars and less on synthesizers. In addition, the fact that we began our live activity with a full lineup featuring an acoustic drum kit — as opposed to the drum machine beats of the previous album — certainly gave the songs a different feel.
How did the fact that this is your first recording as a four-piece affect the creative process?
Now everyone contributes their part to the new tracks, whether that’s guitar parts, drums, guitar solos, etc., which gives a huge creative boost to the songs. In the past, I handled every detail of the arrangements on my own, which was definitely more limiting. On top of that, the recording process is less stressful, since each person focuses on their own role — and finally, creating music with friends is simply more fun!
Influences from Grave Pleasures, Beastmilk, Unto Others, and Tribulation are evident, yet your sound remains recognizable. How do you balance inspiration with your own identity?
Having a relatively recognizable sonic identity comes naturally to us, as we draw from a very wide range of rock and metal influences. Each of us has already played in other bands across different genres, so all that experience comes together into something unique. The bands we end up being close to sonically and aesthetically are not always direct influences; sometimes we arrive at a similar result through entirely different paths.
The occult element and dark aesthetic are consistently present in your work. What role do they play in your overall artistic expression?
For me personally, dark aesthetics are something I constantly seek out both in the art I consume and in the art I create, so it’s a one-way path for Reflection Black to express themselves almost exclusively in this manner. Whether it’s occult references, dark fantasy themes, or inner and existential concepts, all of these hold a very important place in the thematic and aesthetic world of Reflection Black.
The music video, produced by Jim Georgosopoulos, reinforces the song’s dark narrative. How actively involved are you in shaping your visual identity?
We consider visual identity to be a very important aspect of any artist or band, and we approach it accordingly. Through the music video for “Dreams Fade to Nothing,” as well as our artwork, photos, and so on, we actively work to cultivate a clear sense for the listener of what we want to communicate. In Jim’s case, he is a very talented artist who can take all our references, ideas, and directions and produce a final result that truly represents us and fully satisfies us.
Looking back at “Entering Dreamtime” and “Last Stop to Nowhere”, how do you feel the band has evolved in such a short period of time?
We are very happy with the band’s evolution over the past few years, because it has been both fast and substantial. What started as a solo project has now become a tightly knit studio and live band with a shared vision and a clear identity. With the release of our upcoming new material and the corresponding live shows, this evolution will become clearly visible to the audience as well.
You have shared the stage with bands such as Then Comes Silence and Scheitan. What do you take away from these live experiences?
Sharing the stage with international bands is an invaluable experience — you meet important people and learn a great deal. By observing how such bands operate, you gain a better understanding of what it takes to build the best possible live show yourself, while also finding plenty of motivation to keep pushing toward your goals. Finally, some of the international bands we’ve shared the stage with are artists we truly admire, so playing alongside them is simply a joy and an honor.
You mention that you are preparing your strongest material to date. What can we expect from the upcoming album in terms of sound and mood?
As mentioned above, on the upcoming Burning Obsidian Star one can expect our own take on Gothic Rock and Post-Punk, with a dark and occult atmosphere. It consists of nine new tracks with strong cohesion, where rhythm guitars and layered guitar parts play a much more dominant role compared to the past. As always, we place great emphasis on songwriting, with plenty of melodies and vocal-based hooks.
How important is the live element for you? Do your songs change when they are brought to the stage?
Live shows have now evolved into a core element of the band. Many of our new and upcoming songs were tested live long before their release, and their character was refined through that experience, so on stage they sound very similar to the studio versions. The songs from Last Stop to Nowhere do change in terms of arrangement when performed live, in order to be properly supported by our now four-piece lineup.
Does Athens, as your base, play a role in your sound and themes, or do you operate more “out of place and time”?
Athens is our base, but we don’t feel it plays a direct role in our themes. We are inspired more by transcendental concepts and imagination than by everyday life. That said, the intensity and pace of the urban environment certainly affect our mood on a subconscious level, and therefore indirectly influence the way we write music.
As 2025 draws to a close, what is the ideal way to experience Reflection Black: through headphones, in a dark club, or on a festival stage?
I think Reflection Black’s music suits more personal situations — anywhere someone listens to music attentively and pays attention to what it has to say. In a live setting, I believe we fit the dark club show better than a festival open-air stage.
What is your motto in life?
Our motto as a band would be to always look forward. That means we want to keep evolving and never remain stagnant. We genuinely enjoy what we do, and we always strive to improve in every aspect.
Interview: Elektra Limnios
