Reviews: Achelous, Star Gate, Skags, Medusa's Wrath (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Achelous - Tower Of High Sorcery (No Remorse Records)

Greek high fantasy metal heroes Achelous returns with their third album Tower Of High Sorcery. Following on from Macedon and The Icewind Chronicles, Tower Of High Sorcery brings yet more epic heavy metal that is inspired by the Dragonlance series of books. As it gets going with Dragon Wings you'll be instantly pumping your fist in the air, the female choirs adding to the string laden atmosphere created by the synths.

It's heavy metal that is inspired by acts such as Blind Guardian, Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol and any band that matches pace with power. Istar (Blood Red Sea) has a full vocal choir and mid-paced stomp with a cinematic Middle Eastern middle/solo section. It's a change of pace that highlights the compositional skills of Achelous, while other bands just double down on the classic metal gallops of track such as The Oath, Tower Of High Sorcery brings a wide palate to draw from, lilting acoustics that open the doomy title track give way to cavernous riffs and growls, cello opens Fortress Of Sorrow another anthemic number that has more delicious guitar solos.

It's all a bit too good really, I'm struggling to find anything wrong with this record. With some impassioned vocals that are highlighted on Into The Shadows as Chris Kappas duets with Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin. A rhythm section comprise dog band founder/bassist Chris Achelous and drummer Giannis Roussis that can move at high speed and take a more deliberate sedate pace too. Guitars from Haris Dinos and George Mavrommatis that are melodic but also crank out some muscular riffs, it's all very good indeed.

Add to that the layers of acoustics, synths, orchestrations (George Mavrommatis again), the excellent use of Anastasia Megalokonomou's vocals (Pagan Fire) and Achelous are all around the exact kind of band I love to listen to. Check out Tower Of High Sorcery if you're a fan of classic epic metal as you won't be disappointed. 9/10

Star Gate - Escaping The Illusion (Steel Gallery Records)

Sixth album from Thessaloniki melodic metal band Star Gate and all I can say is where have they been!? Merging bands such as Kamelot, Serenity and Symphony X it's an album that combines soaring melodies, anthemic songwriting and neoclassical/virtuoso performances. Formed by bassist Kostas Domenikiotis, he writes all the songs and co writes most of the lyrics alongside Helen Roumpi and new singer Manos Fatsis. 

So the conceptual storyline that runs through this record is the creation of their gifted founder and cornerstone, his skill shown off on the three bass solos that are included as extras. To stop him from descending into full Joey DeMaio mode though he also has a top quality band around him, Stergios Kourou providing the drums as a special guest, the percussive foil for Kostas' bass power. They establish a gallop on Hiding All The Tears that sets you up for what's to come, the keys of Sakis Bandis, swelling, crashing and bringing orchestration too (that violin at the beginning has to be keys). 

The influences are as I've mentioned above the more melodic metal bands, but ones that also bring prog to their sound, The Deepest Sea bringing the keyboard/guitar duels of Stratovarius, Anthimos Manti's guitar playing sufficiently widdly on the rockers while Lonely Queen has some hard rock choruses while the AOR of Life Is An Illusion brings some synthy Saga elements. Fatsis' voice is brilliant, I'm not sure if he's close to any of their other singers as I've only just discovered them with this record but I love his balance of Jeff Scott Soto, Russell Allen and Apollo Papathanasio. Delivering emotion on The Enemy Inside like Allen in his prime. 

Thessaloniki is one of my favourite cities and I'm gutted I've never heard of Star Gate before this, so I'm going back to check out the rest of their work on the basis of this sixth album on this impressive concept album. 8/10

Skags - Year 2200 (Self Released)

I can guarantee you love a lot about the Year 2200 in 2024. It's classic prog where the experiments are much more pronounced. From Athens Greece Skags' previous album Digital Cage Of A Cursed Generation got a good review from myself, even their attached PR says so! The debut record framed Skags as a pioneering alt prog rock band, unafraid of taking the path less travelled. 

So where do they go on their second? Well it's more of the same, experimental, bold musical journeys through a nightmarish conceptual album set in the future where "humanity grapples with extinction and embarks on interplanetary odysseys for survival" each chapter unfolds as a new part of the narrative concocted by drummer Christos (lyrics) and bassist/vocalist Sotirios (music), it's a psychedelic journey through space searching for new hope. 

That feeling of longing carried by the beautiful, ethereal vocal of Spyretta. There's a lot here that reminds me of a band such as Mostly Autumn, Magenta and the numerous Karnataka offshoots. Floydian explorations from Christina (keys) and Harris (guitar) are major parts of this intergalactic adventure. The first few tracks come from the classic prog template but on People On Mars they bring in Greek rapper Axer to spit some bars in their native language while Beacon comes back to the euphoric sounds, longing sounds of Coldplay while Epilogue slow burns with some introspection taken from an album like The Wall. 

Progressive music that adds additional elements to broaden the appeal. 8/10

Medusa’s Wrath – Pavor Exitium Mors (Self Released)

Formed in 2019 and with an EP released last year Athenian heavy metal band Medusa’s Wrath bring their debut album Pavor Exitium Mors just two years later. With a few changes in membership they are now: Petros Kalivas and Dimitris Dozis on guitar, Kristina Paftinou on bass, Theodoros Dimitriadis on drums and Giorgos Chrisanthidis on vocals and their music is tough USA styled heavy metal for fans of Virgin Steele, Manilla Road, Jag Panzer and they who shall not be named (IE). 

More down-tuned than European bands and with gruffer vocals too tracks such as A Day Of Peace chug along until the seismic solos that close it. They owe a few debts to NWOBHM too with some Priest influences on Shade Of The Night and Maiden on Annabelle where there’s some great bass galloping. Roughly translated the album title means Fear Destruction Death, so the darker sound reflects this title but they aren’t void of melodies, twin guitars used throughout. 

It’s simple stuff but if you’re a classic metal fan then Medusa’s Wrath will bring a lot of enjoyment. 7/10