After I compared Κτηνωδία, the debut album from Athenian rockers Khirki, to the likes of Baroness and Mastodon. I was anticipating their sophomore to be just as good and bloody hell it was worth the wait. Since 2021 and 2024, they have discovered that melody is a good thing, adapting the sludgy aggression into groovy 70’s rocking on the brilliant Pumping The Vein, the trio channelling legendary bands such as Budgie, UFO, Lizzy and Wishbone Ash.
These classic rock trappings creeping into the continual heavy blues style of Baroness or Mastodon, particularly on tracks such as The Watchers Of Enoch, which builds on a big bass boost from Orestes Katsaros or the blasting Heart Of The Sea hooked on Dimos Ioannou’s, proggy riffs, guitars effects and often move into a nifty solos and heavy stoner/sludge grooves.
His vocals too are impassioned and muscular. Finishing out this heavy hitting trio is drummer Orestes Mavros, whose use of traditional percussion is masterful, sitting behind the kit as a technical powerhouse on Hekate. Κυκεώνας is an Ancient Greek psychoactive drink, so there’s lots of psychedelic meandering throughout the album as the lyrical inspiration is sorceress Circe from Homer’s Odyssey.
Khirki allow these lyrical inspirations to inform a broader soundscape, shifting them more towards the likes of Villagers Of Ioannina City, the Greek folk touches perfectly suited to Συμπληγάδες (Colleagues/Comrades) as Your Majesty puts acoustic country picking with NWOBHM gallops into more traditional instrumentation, Father Wind is a sailors lament as part of an album that heavily pays homage to the sea through vivid lyricism and shifting tides of riffs.
With producer Theodore Zefkilis (Rotting Christ/Planet of Zeus) behind this cavernous production sound, Khirki score big with Κυκεώνας, it’s a fantastic record that has so many facets to it. Mastodon haven’t released anything this good in years! 9/10
Hardraw - Abyss Of Mankind (Pitch Black Records)
Based in Cyprus and featuring Jimmy Mavrommatis (Mirror) on vocals, Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis (Solitary Sabred, March To Die, Friends Of Hell) and Andreas Kyriacou (Receiver) on guitars, Adamos Adamou on bass and Vangelis Moutafis on drums, Hardraw are a classic/heavy metal band releasing Abyss Of Mankind.
Hardraw - Abyss Of Mankind (Pitch Black Records)
Based in Cyprus and featuring Jimmy Mavrommatis (Mirror) on vocals, Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis (Solitary Sabred, March To Die, Friends Of Hell) and Andreas Kyriacou (Receiver) on guitars, Adamos Adamou on bass and Vangelis Moutafis on drums, Hardraw are a classic/heavy metal band releasing Abyss Of Mankind.
Despite being over 10 years old as a group this is only their second studio record, featuring an updated line up from their first album they owe a debt to the likes of Manilla Road, Riot, Jag Panzer and the 'epic metal' scene they come from. The final track, The Riddle Disciples is actually a tribute to Mark "The Shark" Shelton of Manilla Road and features Gianni Nepi (Dark Quarterer) and Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin (Jag Panzer), but the rest of the album carries the spirit of epic metal bands I mentioned above.
Hunter X Hunted has the bassy gallop of Maiden, as does Crime Reborn, the production making the bass stand out against the twin axe harmonies and Jimmy’s dramatic vocals. It’s resolutely stuck in that 80’s metal sound from the production to the riffs, its NWOBHM and speed metal across eight songs, so die-hard fans of leather and steel will lap it up. 8/10
Spider Kickers – Necrosupper (Sleaszy Rider Records)
Spider Kickers are “legends” in the Greek thrash/death scene. Now I don’t whether that means revered or long tenured, they have been around since 1986! But I do know it’s been five years since their last album and Necrosupper again brings old school thrash alongside death and black metal similar in so many ways to German legends Kreator and the whole Teutonic scene which leaned more into the extreme than the Americans but also abnds such as Pestilence and Morbid Angel.
Spider Kickers – Necrosupper (Sleaszy Rider Records)
Spider Kickers are “legends” in the Greek thrash/death scene. Now I don’t whether that means revered or long tenured, they have been around since 1986! But I do know it’s been five years since their last album and Necrosupper again brings old school thrash alongside death and black metal similar in so many ways to German legends Kreator and the whole Teutonic scene which leaned more into the extreme than the Americans but also abnds such as Pestilence and Morbid Angel.
From the battering stomp of As The Blood Descends, through the blistering blackened death of Disturbing The Gods and the high speed assault of Cast In Hell, the drums don’t often move slower than full on blasts (maybe on Delirium Tremens) and the guitars rip, shred and tear their way through the tracks with intensity as the growls emanate bowels of hell.
A veteran thrash/death band with shifting riffs, dive bomb solos and evil intentions, Spider Kickers don’t reinvent anything but look to kick your ass as much as they do our arachnid friends. 7/10
Saturday Night Satan - All Things Black (Made Of Stone Recordings)
The world of occult doom metal is quite large now, many of the bands feature vocal chanteuses weaving mystical lyricism over classic Sabbath-like riffs, organs bubbling in the background as we also get Coven, Pentagram and BOC from the musical offerings.
Saturday Night Satan - All Things Black (Made Of Stone Recordings)
The world of occult doom metal is quite large now, many of the bands feature vocal chanteuses weaving mystical lyricism over classic Sabbath-like riffs, organs bubbling in the background as we also get Coven, Pentagram and BOC from the musical offerings.
The latest band to add to this every growing list is the excellently names Saturday Night Satan, formed by Jim Kotsis (bass/guitars/backing vocals) of Black Soul Horde and Kate Soulthorn on vocals. Originally studio only they are now also a live band and they fit comfortably into the Lucifer, Blood Ceremony mould, the latter coming on Of Love And The Void which features flute from Joel Sempere as Andrea Marras takes things cosmic with Theremin on Witches’ Dance.
SNS draw from 70’s proto metal (Lurking In The Shadows), 80’s post punk and 90’s rock (Devil In Disguise) to the Ghost-like worship of All Things Black. Basically if it’s dark and macabre the band will write about it and the songs all have driving grooves ready for goth discos. 7/10
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