Reviews: Allen's Hand, Void Era, Kawir, In Utero Cannibalism (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Allen's Hand - Chicken King (Self Released)

A cult boyband dedicated to the one true Chicken King, Allen's Hand are a bunch of Athenian virtuosos playing a really weird album of music that is full of 90's and early 2000's trappings. 

They formed in 2008 and have released two albums before this one coming back in 2022 they wrote what was to become Chicken King an very, very eclectic record, that is never easy to categorize but manages to cram in tonnes of genres, including metal, rock, jazz and funk. Figurine brings radio friendly American post-grunge balladry, R3D3 putting battering math metal to emo singalongs, Johnny Craig (ex-Dace Gavin Dance) joining in the fun as Poutsatron has djenty riffs and sax.

The heavier side of the album very much towards the back end of it, musically they play progressively, off-kilter rhythms, odd time signatures and bring broad soundscapes. Handicaprio is very similar to Brandon Urie pop driven quirkiness mixed with angsty lyrics that tell of our unnamed hero having to leave his love as she's 25. 

Playing Fair puts Barenaked Ladies with Del Amitri, Thermochemistry is described as a "sexy pop metal hit" and I couldn't have said it better myself. Deep Space is atmospheric tappy wonderment as Delabongo is Dirty Loops like virtuoso funk featuring Skyler Acord on slinky bass. The Chicken King will be appeased with this wide ranging tribute to him and all of his works. 9/10

Void Era - Guilt (Self Released)

Forming in 2018, Athens band Void Era, started out on as a alt rock/blues based band founded by Elia Tsara (guitars/vocals) and John Levojohn (bass) they added Kostas Tsaras (drums) and recorded an EP that paid homage to that fertile 90's period of rock music with as they brought the sounds of grunge, alternative, garage rock and all things moody. 

On their full length debut they bring in Theofanis Mavropanos on guitars to add some drama to the brooding fuzz of Feels The Same. They've taken a heavier and more eclectic route with this record bubbling organs kicking off Sign before some punk riffs ignite the record well. Town Crier is a track with classic metal solos and grunge riffs, Feels The Same adds the acoustic guitar of AIC for wooziness. 

They have a major fascination with introspection, their music is varied, with smoky blues and angular alt rock the basis but they build on these foundations with a wide selection of instrumentation and Elia’s unique vocals. As I listened to the album I heard a lot of similarities to the more ‘artistic’ side of 90’s rock with some Screaming Trees, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction to name just a few. 

However there’s also some of the chuggy, hypnotic riffs from the likes of Soundgarden too, A Shape In The Sand, taking a few influences from Teenage Kicks. Guilt is an album out of time, inspired by the coolest bands of the 90’s it’s Gen X music for the current generation. 7/10

Kawir - Kydoimos (Soulseller Records)

Kydoimos is the ninth(!) album from Greek black metal act Kawir. Coming from that fertile highly influential 90’s scene, they explore Greek mythology and mystery in their work, this one influenced by one of Greek sprits of war, in particular the bedlam of battle. Using the Illiad as lyrical reference musically the album captures the ominous overarching sense of dread but also the exhilaration of battle. Through second wave black metal that is brutal but takes atmospheric breaks (Centauromachy and Hecatonchires) in the frenzy too. 

Sitting in the middle of this extreme metal maelstrom is a trio of songs that deal with Achilles and the Trojan war explicitly but this is also the major lyrical background to the whole album. Unlike say Rotting Christ or Varathron who have developed more into blackened/death metal acts, Kawir keeps it cvlt with frenetic tremolo picking and kick drumming that is unholy, the cinematic touches there to make sure the story is told at the right scope, without betraying their pagan black metal beginnings. 

For me it’s the trio of songs about Achilles and the title track that do the best work for Kawir. A sound that has been established for a long time but is still refined with every release. 7/10

In Utero Cannibalism – Dehumanise (Sleazsy Rider Records)

I can just hear m’colleague GC complain about this album from Greek death metal band In Utero Cannibalism (the name doesn’t give away the genre at all!) He would have complained that the 4 minute opening track Human Terror Disease was too long. 

A slow burn clean guitar intro that does some scene setting but doesn’t quite prepare you for the next 17(!) songs. It’s almost doom, but they revert to type with Organised Perversion, going forward with br00tal death metal that unfortunately does absolutely nothing for me. Thankfully all the songs are around 2 minutes but the production is muddy, making Dehumanise sound like its underwater, and there’s a weird bass sound that’s far to clean and fuzzy for the album. 

I realise that the band is one guy but it sounds like a one man project. Very D.I.Y but in a “recorded in my bedroom” way. You might like it but I found myself only managing one listen. 5/10