The release of their new album, “Eternal Curse,” brought us to cross blades (Claymore is a sword that has origins in Scotland) with singer Dejana Betsa Garčević and guitarist Vladimir Vladimir Garčević

(Dejana): Thank you so much for the kind words, it truly means the world to us. I have to admit, the fast pace of this album was a real challenge at first. I actually asked Vlad if he was sure I should be the one singing on this material! These songs are so intense and demanding, they’re almost acted out... they’re dramatic. And I’m used to singing melodies, hahaha. So once again, I had to roll up my sleeves and find the right “character” for this new material.
I had the chance to work closely with Vlad on the lyrics and storytelling, to shape the melodies and harmonies, and in the end, if I may say so myself, I really loved the final product. I’ve never had a harder time in the studio. Some of the equipment we used in the Midnight Studio wasn’t really my cup of tea, and we tried a few new approaches, especially regarding the microphone choice, Boris (our producer) wanted to experiment a bit haha. But when I take a step back from all the struggles, I see that this album is some of our most complex and layered work to date.

(Vlad): Claymore was the name of the band I assembled back in the mid 90's. We released 2 albums under that name, but I realized that there were too many bands and products with the same name, so we needed something more distinctive, similar to when Yngwie Malmsteen put the J. to his name so that people don't confuse him with all of the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the world haha. Spinal Tap joke aside, I wanted a fresh start with the new name, and I consider it to be a different band from Claymore, but to honor the legacy at the same time, because we still play some of the songs from the Claymore era on our live shows. (Dejana): I see our music as a blend of power, epic, doom, and traditional heavy metal. We tackle mythological, historical, fictional, and personal battles — all wrapped in storytelling and intensity. If you love Manowar, Virgin Steele, Wolf, Black Sabbath, Running Wild, and Judas Priest… Well, so do we!
(Vlad): It's the sum of everything what we love as fans of heavy metal music. (Dejana): It all started with my uncle, a true rock 'n' roll soul who lived and breathed music. He had this incredible vinyl and CD collection and a deep love for southern rock, classic heavy metal, and hard rock. From the time I was a kid, that music was always playing around me: Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, W.A.S.P., Whitesnake... it just soaked into me. He believed in me before I even thought of singing seriously… pushed me to join a local cover band when I was just 18. I had no clue what I was doing, but there I was, working hard. That early push shaped everything. I didn't just fall in love with music… I belonged there. After a year or so, Vlad joined us and we decided to give writing music a try, and the rest is history.
(Vlad): For me it all started with Kiss. Then came my first cassettes - Saxon, W.A.S.P., The Cult, King Diamond, Helloween, Manowar, Running Wild, Yngwie,... And of course, Manilla Road above all! (Dejana): Every record has its own story, its own theme, and a unique energy. I don’t think it’s up to me to say which album is “better,” that really depends on the listener. Some people connect with the rawness of our early work, others with the polish and intensity of the newer stuff. Honestly, I can’t pick a personal favorite. It shifts with time, mood, and whatever emotional space I’m in. But what I can say is that we’ve grown. With each release, we’ve become more confident in how we arrange songs, shape melodies, and build atmosphere. We’ve learned how to leave more space when it’s needed and how to hit harder when the moment calls for it. On this new album, we weren’t afraid to push ourselves — vocally, musically, emotionally. And I think you can feel that in every track.(Dejana): Vlad is the backbone of our writing process, always has been. He’s the one who shapes most of the music from start to finish: writing, arranging, recording, editing drums and guitars, producing… it’s all in his hands. But this time around, the process felt a bit more collaborative in certain parts.
Some songs were a full band effort, while Vlad and I worked closely on the lyrics. Sometimes he’d start an idea, I’d finish it… and sometimes the other way around. We really bounced off each other this time and tried to build a stronger narrative together. I also tried to ease some of his load during the process… whether I succeeded or just got in the way, only he can say!(Dejana): Yes! Our dear friend Matt DeVries helped us with lyrics for Eternal Curse and Bannockburn. He even joined us for a few Zoom sessions to go through the material in depth and helped us fine-tune certain parts.
We also had an amazing guest guitar solo from our equally good friend, Srđan Bilić of Power Surge, on Wind Before the Storm. Absolutely mind-blowing. Both Matt and Srđan added something special to this record, and we’re grateful to have had them onboard.(Dejana): It’s not a concept album in the traditional sense, but there is one central theme that runs through the entire record — BATTLE. Whether it’s mythological, religious, historical, or internal, every song deals with some form of struggle. Each one tells its own story, but they’re all bound by that core idea of facing something greater than yourself.(Vlad): I had a vision of this artwork and title ever since I was in high school. I told that to our label manager Danny (Stormspell Records) and he commissioned the idea to Anton (Oldschool Crew) and the result was even better than I could have imagined. I always wanted to have a blue artwork because it looks striking and menacing. It sums up the theme of battle, especially the inner struggles within every being, to overcome the obstacles and prolong their existence, even if it means that the road to achieving this goal is ethically questionable. That's the eternal curse we all carry.

(Dejana): Thank you, that truly means a lot. Some melodies come instantly, within seconds… and some take years to fully come together. This album was especially challenging because of the fast-paced structure. I had to find ways to pull real emotion and clarity out of these intense songs.
I worked a lot with harmonies this time, carefully layering them without overloading things. We’ve always been careful not to make songs feel too full in the studio if we can’t deliver that same energy live. But now that Vlajko has joined us on backing vocals, and he sings like an angel, we’ve had the freedom to enrich the live sound too. That gave us the grace to go deeper into layering and detail.(Dejana): Nope, never! I’m their brother. We’ve spent days on the road together, and somewhere along the line they just started walking around in their underwear like I wasn’t even there, and I’m totally unbothered by that. We always have fun on tour. We eat like little piggies, play jenga with the gear in the trunk, travel a lot, do a bit of sightseeing, and sing along to good music in the van. It’s chaotic, loud, ridiculous… and I love it.(Vlad): I was a fan of what Stormspell was doing for some time. All the bands on that label's roster were playing the traditional old school type of metal, similar to the sound of the late 80's and early 90's, which is my favorite period of heavy metal. When we released the first single from the Unbroken album (We Fight Like Lions) in late 2014, Danny wrote me an email and asked if we were interested in releasing the new album for his label. And I haven't had a second thought about it. (Dejana): Yes, I am. It’s easy to forget how far you’ve come when you’re constantly pushing forward, but when I look back I know we poured our hearts into it. We’ve done all of this independently, with no big support behind us, just passion and persistence. So yes… I’m proud. I know what this music means to me, and if it means something to someone else too… that’s already a huge achievement.
(Vlad): I can only agree with everything Dejana said. When I started this musical journey the landscape of the musical industry was much different than what it is today. Back then I could've only dreamt that someone from outside of Serbia becomes a fan of my band, and now we have more fans outside than in Serbia haha. Also, nothing we've achieved so far wouldn't be possible without Boris Šurlan and his studio where we made all Claymorean albums.
(Dejana): Unfortunately, we’re not planning anything live at the moment. We’re facing some lineup issues, so things are a bit uncertain in that department. That said, we’re always writing. Even if we’re not on stage, the music never stops. New songs will come, no matter what.
(Vlad): We recently finished our first headlining tour across Germany, with the legendary power metal band Crystallion. So, things are moving in the right direction. Even though it's hard to balance the everyday job with being in a metal band, we're doing our best to keep the gears running.(Dejana): Thank you to everyone who listens to us, supports us, shares a song, or sends a message. To our Italian fans: your passion for heavy metal is legendary, and it would be a dream to play for you one day. Until then… keep those swords sharp and the volume loud. Slay With Clay!
(Vlad): Thank you for the support and for having us featured on your website! We hope to visit Italy sooner than later, but for this to happen we need promoters and organizers from Italy who'd be interested in bringing us there! Cheers from Serbia!