Born in 2019 in Ladenburg, Germany, Sign of Death have managed to create a completely distinctive, solid sound of their own, combining the relentless energy of Thrash with the dark, melancholic melodies of Death Metal. Following the excellent 2022 EP “Revival”, the band has returned more mature and aggressive than ever, releasing the brand-new, crushing single and video “My Dark Reflection”, which heralds their next major recording release.
Today, Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr have the pleasure of hosting the guitarist, founder and good friend of the page, Iannis, for a deep, relaxed and extremely friendly conversation about the background of their new work, the challenges of the underground and their future plans.
Buckle up and let the Thrash begin!!
Jo: Iannis, my brother, welcome to Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr!
You know how much I appreciate you and how happy I am to see the band growing. You started this journey in 2019 and today, in 2026, Sign of Death are now a force to be reckoned with. When you look back at those early days in Ladenburg, did you ever expect that your Thrash/Death would become so dark, mature and solid?
Iannis Darkwell: When we started in 2019, of course there was a desire for the band to move forward and evolve, but I don’t think I could have predicted exactly where this journey would take us back then.
The current sound of Sign of Death is essentially a blend of everything I have gone through musically over all these years. I started with Greek rock, moved through hard rock, heavy metal, power metal and then into thrash and death metal. All of these left something inside me and, over time, they came together and created what I play today.
It wasn’t something planned from the beginning. It came naturally through my musical journey, my experiences and the way I evolved as a guitarist and songwriter.
Sign of Death became darker, tighter and more mature, but the core remains the same: power, aggression, melody and emotion.
And I believe that this evolution is not over. What we hear today is simply another stage of the journey.
Jo: You recently released the new single and video “My Dark Reflection”, which personally crushed me sonically. It is obvious that you are opening a much heavier and more atmospheric chapter. What does this “dark reflection” represent for you lyrically, and how does it reflect your evolution as a guitarist?
Iannis Darkwell: My Dark Reflection is, above all, our own self. It is what we see when we look in the mirror, but also what we are often afraid to face. It is the darkest thoughts, weaknesses, fears and truths that exist within us, whether we want to accept them or not. That is exactly where the essence of the song lies.
As a guitarist, I feel that I am constantly evolving. In recent years I have started placing greater emphasis on melody and atmosphere, without losing the aggression and intensity that characterize Sign of Death. Speed will always be part of my music and, wherever I can, I will continue to push it even further.
But I am not simply interested in playing faster. I am interested in every note having a reason to exist. I want technique, melody and atmosphere to always serve the emotion of the song.
Jo: The music video for “My Dark Reflection” turned out excellent and very carefully crafted. Because I know how difficult and demanding it is for an independent band to put together such a visual production, give us a little bit of the behind-the-scenes story. Was there any completely crazy or funny moment during the filming that you will never forget?
Iannis Darkwell: The video was created in collaboration with a very good and dear friend of mine who works in this field. We worked on images and visual elements, which were connected with the help of modern technology, in order to convey the atmosphere of the song as effectively as possible.
Of course, there were also some unexpected moments. During the preparation, some scenes appeared that were almost the complete opposite of what we wanted to express, and that gave us quite a lot of laughs. Because we have been friends for many years, there was also that level of comfort that creates little funny moments and behind-the-scenes incidents that remain just between friends.
When I saw the final result, I really liked it a lot. I believe it captured the dark feeling of the song correctly, and I am grateful for the work and effort that went into it.
At the same time, I believe that every creation is also a lesson. In the next video I want to take things one step further, with an even clearer direction and a more complete production. This is generally my philosophy: whenever I see that something can be done better, I want to develop it further.
Jo: From the 2022 EP “Revival” until today, the band has gone through various lineup changes. Now, your core with Oskar has bonded incredibly well. How difficult is it for a band founder to keep the ship steady when the people around him change, and how did this stability affect the songwriting of the upcoming full-length album?
Iannis Darkwell: The truth is that since this question was written, things have changed. Oskar and I went our separate ways very calmly and amicably. For personal reasons, he had to return to his hometown and, because of the difficulties he was facing at that time, it was no longer possible for us to continue in the same way. There is mutual respect, and I appreciate everything he contributed to the band’s journey.
For a founder, lineup changes are never easy. You have to keep the band’s direction steady, without ignoring the people who passed through it and left their own mark.
The upcoming album naturally also contains his contribution, up to the point allowed by the circumstances of that period. He gave what he could while he was with us, and I respect that completely.
From that point on, the main songwriting and artistic direction of the album remain mine. Sign of Death continue to evolve on this basis, with new ideas, possible new collaborations and a clear goal for the next step.
Jo: In your music, you manage to combine the raw aggression of Thrash with very strong, melancholic melodies. What is your own “golden mean” as a songwriter? How do you distinguish when a riff is “just fast” and when it has that deep soul and meaning you are looking for in Sign of Death?
Iannis Darkwell: The truth is that this is one of those questions that is difficult to answer with any specific formula. For me, this combination of aggression and melody is more something I feel than something I consciously decide.
There is a need within me to express myself dynamically, quickly and aggressively, but at the same time I want the music to carry something more internal, something that leaves room for melancholy, emotion and atmosphere.
A riff can be technically fast and correct, but that alone is not enough for me. For me, it acquires real meaning when, while playing it, I feel that it expresses something beyond speed.
When aggression and melody meet naturally and the riff starts to convey emotion, then I know it has what I am looking for. Somewhere there lies my own “golden mean.”
Jo: Your themes touch heavily on death, life’s difficulties and mortality. Many believe that metalheads who write about such subjects are permanently melancholic people. But those of us who know you know that you are an incredible guy with a sense of humor. Is creating such extreme music ultimately the perfect “filter” for getting rid of all the negativity of everyday life?
Iannis Darkwell: My dear Jo, I think the answer is a mixture of all of these things. Yes, music often functions as a filter. It is a way of getting tension, negativity, thoughts and emotions out of yourself that might otherwise remain there.
That does not mean, however, that anyone who writes about death, difficulties or dark subjects has to be a permanently melancholic person. In our music, we put things across that may be personal, but also social or sociopolitical. Things that we see around us and that affect us.
And many times this “melancholy” is not even just melancholy. It is sadness, disappointment, anger, indignation. It is that “enough is enough” feeling you get when you see injustice around you, people under pressure, a world that often simply learns to obey, remain silent and accept things without reacting.
All of these can become a trigger for writing. And when they pass through music, they are transformed into something creative. Perhaps that is ultimately what is beautiful about metal: you can take something dark, heavy or negative and give it a voice, intensity and form.
And then, of course, you can get off the stage and joke around like a normal person. The two do not contradict each other. Perhaps, in the end, one helps the other to exist.
Jo: Your base is in Germany, a country with a huge Thrash tradition. What are things like there for an underground band today? Is there genuine support among the bands, or does everyone just look after their own “business”?
Iannis Darkwell: Germany undoubtedly has a huge tradition in Thrash and has produced some of the most important bands in the genre. There is no need to name them—we all know them.
As far as today’s underground scene is concerned, from my own experience I mainly have positive things to say. Sign of Death have played with many bands here in Germany, and what I have seen is that there is genuine support and, many times, real friendship develops over time.
When you meet the same bands again and again at live shows, it doesn’t remain merely a formal acquaintance. Communication develops, we exchange messages, we talk to each other and, when someone organizes a show or needs another band for a lineup, very often recommendations are made from band to band. To me, that is a real scene: not just playing your music, but also having a sense of community.
There is, however, another side that we cannot ignore. Mutual support between bands exists, but unfortunately the support from the wider audience toward underground bands is not always what we would like it to be. In genres such as thrash, death or doom, attendance is often limited and it is difficult for a band to reach new people.
Without wanting to offend anyone, we often see that audiences more easily prefer cover or tribute bands. And this is completely understandable to a certain extent, because people already know the songs, they know what they are going to hear and they feel more “safe” with something familiar. In Germany, in fact, there are many such bands that operate almost professionally and can have much greater commercial appeal.
The problem is that, in this way, bands that write their own material find it more difficult to find space and an audience. And to me, that is a little paradoxical:
If we want there to be new bands tomorrow, someone has to go and listen to them today.
Of course, there are also exceptions, and I have encountered uncollegial behavior or a bad “rockstar attitude.” But I would not like to focus on that, because it is not what characterizes my overall experience.
At least in the areas and at the events where we have been active, the picture among the bands is positive. Where I would like to see greater change is in the support from the public for the underground scene, and especially for bands that insist on creating their own music.
Jo: If Sign of Death were the soundtrack to a horror film, a dystopian book or an actual catastrophe of humanity, what setting do you think would fit the sound of “My Dark Reflection” perfectly?
Iannis Darkwell: If I had to place My Dark Reflection within an image, I would definitely imagine it in a very dark, perhaps even gothic environment. Something reminiscent of the atmosphere of Silent Hill: fog, strange figures, shadows, creatures that you don’t know whether they are real or creations of your own mind.
At the center of this world there would be a mirror. But not an ordinary mirror. It would be something like a prison and, at the same time, a passage. Inside it would be the shadows of people who once truly looked at themselves and could not bear what they saw. As if they had become trapped inside their own reflection.
And that, for me, is where the essence of My Dark Reflection lies. Our dark self is not something we simply see and then turn our backs on. It is there and tries to come out. As if it wants to break the glass, pass to the other side and eventually take control of us.
So the ideal setting would be a dark, strange and almost nightmarish world, where you ultimately don’t know what is more dangerous: the monsters around you or what you see inside the mirror.
Jo: Let’s ask a question about your equipment, because I know how “sick” you are about guitars. If your house caught fire and you could save only ONE guitar and ONE pedal/amp to play the next Sign of Death show, which would they be and why?
Iannis Darkwell: If I had to save only one guitar, I wouldn’t think about it for long. It would be the ’93 Jackson Randy Rhoads. That guitar has much greater value to me than its purely monetary value.
I bought it when I was much younger, during a period when financially I was really struggling. In order to be able to afford it back then, I went without things that were very basic. And just because of that, but also for many other reasons, I have become emotionally attached to it.
It has accompanied me through many stages of my life, both good and difficult. Many times, when there was a problem or something I could not easily express, this guitar was a way for me to find an outlet and, in a way, solutions. So it is not simply an instrument to me. It is part of my journey.
From there on, if I could also save my main equipment, I would grab my Marshall amplifier, head and cabinet together, however difficult that might be because of the weight, and of course my Line 6 POD HD500X pedalboard, which I truly love.
And I have a similar attachment to these as well. I acquired them later, but again during a period when I was not financially comfortable at all. Maybe that is why I never see them simply as “gear.” To me, they are things acquired through hard work and connected with specific moments, music and experiences.
So, if I had to run out of a burning house, the Jackson would definitely be the first thing I would take. And if I still had two hands free, I would try to take the Marshall and the Line 6 as well. Although at that point I would probably need a second person to help! 😄🤘
Jo: You have played various live stages and your Thrash/Death is made for mosh pits. What is the strangest, most bizarre or funniest thing you have ever seen a fan do in the pit while you were playing a solo?
Iannis Darkwell: I have seen quite a few strange things over the years, but there is one scene I really cannot forget.
It was at a very good live show, with quite a lot of people in front of the stage, and we were playing Lost. In front of us was someone I knew very well—Pavel, a very good guy and, in fact, one of the first people who had played drums with us, before the band even took the name Sign of Death.
At some point, while there was complete chaos in front of the stage and everyone was headbanging to the rhythm, Pavel started… dancing. And when I say dancing, I really don’t know if there is a name for what he was doing! 😂
He looked like a puppet whose strings someone had completely tangled up. Arms, legs, body, everything was moving in different directions, as if the person controlling the puppet had completely lost control.
The best part, though, was the reaction of the crowd. The headbanging didn’t stop. Everyone continued following the rhythm, but little by little you could see all the heads turning toward Pavel. The music continued, the crowd continued to thrash, but everyone was now watching what the hell this guy was doing! 😂
At some point, he had taken over the entire front area. He would come toward the stage, wave at us, do his thing and had managed to attract everyone’s attention.
And the climax? We ended up playing and looking at him too!
It is one of those moments that are really difficult to describe. You had to be there to understand the picture. But even today, whenever I remember it, I laugh.
Jo: The new LP is now in its final stages and the beast has awakened. What should we expect from this release? Are there any hidden surprises or experiments that you haven’t revealed anywhere yet?
Iannis Darkwell: Those who have listened to Sign of Death since the first EP or have seen us live, I believe that on this LP they will hear something quite different. The foundation and identity of the band remain there, but the material is much tighter, more mature and, in quite a few places, more staccato, with different dynamics and some strange “nuggets” within the music.
There are small chemistries and alchemies beginning to appear in our sound. Some things you may not even notice on the first listen, but they are there and give the songs a different character.
And I wouldn’t want to reveal all the surprises from now—it’s better for the listener to discover some of them on their own.
The most important thing for me, though, is that this LP is not the end of a direction. It is the beginning of the next one.
Sign of Death will remain within the core of what they play, but I don’t want us to constantly repeat ourselves. I want us to try things, add elements and evolve our sound without losing our identity.
So what someone will hear now is a more complete and more mature version of Sign of Death. And I believe that in every subsequent release there will be something new that can pleasantly surprise those who listen to us and follow us.
I don’t want people to know exactly what they are going to hear before they press play. I want them to know that they are listening to Sign of Death—but there should always be something they didn’t expect.
Jo: What are your immediate plans for live appearances? Is there any thought at the back of your mind of bringing the band over for a few live dates in your homeland, here in Greece, to make it the ultimate slaughter?
Iannis Darkwell: At the back of my mind? No. It is much further forward than that.
I definitely want Sign of Death to play in Greece. And when I say Greece, if I could, I would like us to play everywhere. In as many cities as possible. It is my country, it is my homeland and I love it. So, for me, stepping onto a stage there at some point with Sign of Death has a special significance.
In fact, there have already been two offers in the past for us to play in Greece and, unfortunately, for various reasons, we were not able to be there, no matter how much I wanted it.
And I remember specifically a band of friends who eventually took our place at one of those shows. Instead of simply being happy that they would be playing, what they told me was roughly:
“We didn’t want to play in your place. We wanted you to come so we could play together.”
That meant much more to me than just a live show.
So yes, Greece is clearly in my plans. And now that the LP is essentially ready and the next step is its release, I want a new chapter to open for Sign of Death along with it, naturally also in terms of live appearances.
And since you are asking me specifically about Greece… let’s leave something for a little later. There are thoughts and things that, when the right time comes, will be heard. It is not yet time for me to say more.
But I will tell you this:
Sign of Death will play in Greece. And when it happens, I want it to be worth the wait.
12+1: Jo: Because we are friends and I know your endurance, tell the truth: If you had to choose between playing a three-hour, nonstop live show with full headbanging while wearing tight leather clothes in the middle of summer, or sitting down to write an entire album using only a vintage ’80s pop drum machine, what would you choose to save your sanity?
Iannis Darkwell: Jo, just reading the question made me feel a heatwave, scorching sun and general… chaos! 😂 I know you wanted to make my life difficult with this choice, but since you know me, you also know the answer.
I’ll take the three-hour live show. Full headbanging, tight leather and the middle of summer. After all, you know I’m quite a tough nut. 😂
Because between getting roasted like a chestnut under the sun and writing an entire Sign of Death album with a vintage ’80s pop drum machine, sorry, but I prefer the first option. There are some limits that even I am not willing to cross!
So yes: I will go on stage, melt from the heat, headbang until I can’t feel my neck anymore and, by the time the show is over, I will probably have been roasted so thoroughly that I will have become one with the leather.
But at least… as far as it is up to me, Sign of Death will continue to have proper drums. As for the rest… there are also things that sometimes we don’t decide ourselves! 😂🤘
Jo: My dear Iannis, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this conversation, for your amazing music and for your genuine friendship. I wish you every success with “My Dark Reflection” and the upcoming album, which I am sure will cause absolute mayhem. You know that Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr will always be your home. Keep on thrashing, my brother!
Iannis Darkwell: My dear Jo, I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart, both for the honor you gave me with this interview and for your support and friendship throughout all these years.
I wish you every success in everything you do as well, because I know how much love, work and soul you put into what you have created.
And yes, that is exactly how I feel about Sound Stories by Jo and metalwar.gr as well: as if they were my home. And a home becomes even more important when the person who opens the door for you is someone you truly respect, appreciate and love.
So I won’t say much more. Thank you for everything, my Jo. The door is open from both sides.
Keep on thrashing! 🤘🖤
Iannis Darkwell — Sign of Death
Interview – text: Joanna Gonas
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