Often dubbed the "first" Neo-Classical metal band from Greece, Angelo Perlepes' Mystery has been the cranking out music in the style of Yngwie Malmsteen, Rainbow, Impelliteri and classical composers such as Bach, Paganini and Vivaldi.
Formed in 1986, they have played all over Greece gaining a very loyal and cult following but their releases have been quite few and far between, with lots of changing around in the membership, the only constant being Perlepes' slinging the guitar himself with the virtuosity of Blackmore, Malmsteen or Friedman/Becker.
To further drive home the sporadic nature of the band Spelled By Fire is the band's first album in 21 years, their fifth overall it features yet more six string brilliance from Angelo, as you can well appreciate most of these songs are all about him showing off but, he does it in a way that is classy, often understated as the arpeggios from hell are countered with bluesy refrains, proggy atmospheres and some acoustic moments too such as Spelled By Fire (Andante).
Of course he's not alone with bassist Takis Avramopoulos and drummer Thanos Dimitriogannis creating the muscular bottom end which gives the metallic side of things as the double kicks and gallops come like lighting on Wizards Of The Western Coast where the metal side of things ala Symphony X are strong. The cover of Babylon originally by Aphrodite's Child, is given a heavy rock make over and works better for it, while on Stormrider those Rainbow influences take over.
The addition of Billy Vass (ex-Terra Incognita, ex-Rhodium) behind the mic adding to the more metal sound, joined on vocals by Stella Kontogianni. Billy is a vocal monster, going into Dio-esque realms on Caress Of Darkness and Sign Of The Cross, perfect for this swaggering neo-classical style.
21 years in the making, Spelled By Fire sees Angelo Perlepes’ Mystery return as if there hasn't been a gap, a tinderbox of neoclassical metal primed to ignite. 9/10
Golden Serpent - Lullabies From Hell (Sleaszy Rider)
George Apophis formerly of Mors In Tabula and Yoth Iria is a man who has a very strong background in extreme metal. Golden Serpent is his newest force of nature with Apophis getting a load of experienced musicians on board to unleash some blistering blackened death metal.
The band and the label (Greece's Sleaszy Rider Records) cite influences such as Yoth Iria, Deicide, Obituary and Behemoth, all are audible on this extreme metal feast of blast beats, ferocious riffs and wide eyed gutteral roars all coming from a modern death metal sound that pays dividends to the classics but is very much of now.
Album closer Hecate’s Nightfall for instance, is exactly the kind of frenzied battery you'd want from a band that takes influences from those bands. With lyrical inspiration coming from "spirituality, resilience, religions and the complexities of the modern human experience" these Lullabies From Hell are full on blasts of extremity that any fans of the bands mentioned will be banging their heads too. 7/10
Typhus - Fate Weaver (Sleaszy Rider)
Fate Weaver is the second full length from Athens heavy metal act band Typhus formed in 2009. Between 2009-2019 they were known as Nuclear Terror, until 2019 when they changed their name to Typhus and tried to incorporate a bit more classic heavy metal into their basis in speed/thrash.
It means that on Fate Weaver they can do the rampaging thing that they do so well on Only Ashes Remain and I Stand Defiant, but they get a NWOBHM style gallop of Primordial Hunger while on Catacombs Of Sancre Tor they take the occult route of Mercyful Fate, with some high shrieks and plenty of twin guitar attack.
It's from here that the songs seem to get a bit more prog, inspired by the likes of Sabbat or Forbidden to try and fit as many riffs in as possible into Apocrypha, getting back into the thrash groove on Army Of None and Crestfallen. With this rebrand, Typhus can adapt their sound in the future, they are already bringing in a few influences from the US Power metal to match their speed/sound on Fate Weaver.
I'll be interested to see where they go from here. 7/10
The Skelters - Con Man's Chronicles (Sleaszy Rider)
Con Man's Chronicles is an album that can't really decide what it wants to be. The trio from Thessaloniki all contribute vocals to the record and the genres vary wildly so there's a distinct flavour of Golden Earring or 10cc about them, however a lot of the songwriting let's them down.
I'm never sure if they're being serious, I can't tell if Awesome is supposed to be a satirical song, as it sounds like something Frank Zappa would have written in the late 70's, then there's a few 'classic rock' songs that feature lyrics by a sixth former.
As the record carries on, it veers into country towards the back end but I will say by then I'd lost interest a little. Nothing is grabbing me too much and while the band seem to play live a lot and while I'm sure they're fun enough in a rock club in Greece, on this record I was never fully invested in The Skelters brand of bluesy/roots rock. 6/10
Fate Weaver is the second full length from Athens heavy metal act band Typhus formed in 2009. Between 2009-2019 they were known as Nuclear Terror, until 2019 when they changed their name to Typhus and tried to incorporate a bit more classic heavy metal into their basis in speed/thrash.
It means that on Fate Weaver they can do the rampaging thing that they do so well on Only Ashes Remain and I Stand Defiant, but they get a NWOBHM style gallop of Primordial Hunger while on Catacombs Of Sancre Tor they take the occult route of Mercyful Fate, with some high shrieks and plenty of twin guitar attack.
It's from here that the songs seem to get a bit more prog, inspired by the likes of Sabbat or Forbidden to try and fit as many riffs in as possible into Apocrypha, getting back into the thrash groove on Army Of None and Crestfallen. With this rebrand, Typhus can adapt their sound in the future, they are already bringing in a few influences from the US Power metal to match their speed/sound on Fate Weaver.
I'll be interested to see where they go from here. 7/10
The Skelters - Con Man's Chronicles (Sleaszy Rider)
Con Man's Chronicles is an album that can't really decide what it wants to be. The trio from Thessaloniki all contribute vocals to the record and the genres vary wildly so there's a distinct flavour of Golden Earring or 10cc about them, however a lot of the songwriting let's them down.
I'm never sure if they're being serious, I can't tell if Awesome is supposed to be a satirical song, as it sounds like something Frank Zappa would have written in the late 70's, then there's a few 'classic rock' songs that feature lyrics by a sixth former.
As the record carries on, it veers into country towards the back end but I will say by then I'd lost interest a little. Nothing is grabbing me too much and while the band seem to play live a lot and while I'm sure they're fun enough in a rock club in Greece, on this record I was never fully invested in The Skelters brand of bluesy/roots rock. 6/10
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