Triumpher - Spirit Invictus (No Remorse Records)
Following on from 2023's Storming The Walls, here's the Greek version of Manowar/Virgin Steele, Triumpher, although they do have some black metal influences too due to the participation of George Emmanuel behind the desk for the massive production, it's the macho masculine metal of Manowar that is the heaviest comparison here.
Just listen to Arrival Of The Avenger and you'll see why, Mars Triumph puts on his Corinthian helmet and belts out the victorious Battle Hymns with a vocals style that's exactly like Eric Adams, this track sounding like Wheels Of Fire due to its bass heavy thrashing from Agis Tzoukopoulos (drums) and Stelios Zoumis (bass).
The armies of Greece will be swarming around Triumpher, a band who have performed at Up The Hammers and alongside Tom Gabriel Warrior's Triumph Of Death. As Overture To Elysian swells, we are welcomed into the cinematic sounds of Triumpher, choirs opening Athena (1st Chapter) which has a war-like chug for Greece's Warrior Goddess as more epic battle metal comes on the title track.
There's an ode to the Great Conqueror on Alexander Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters' guitars trem picking adding those black metal influences I mentioned earlier while we're back on familiar ground with Shores Of Marathon and Triumpher, the latter thrashier because of Agis Tzoukopoulos' drumming and Stelios Zoumis' booming bass.
Epic, fantasy metal that is a homage but as I said in the review of the last album, it's far too much fun for fans of epic heavy metal. 9/10
Eldingar - Lysistrata (Vinyl Store)
Eldingar are something of revelation on the Hellenic black metal scene. They of course pay homage to the bands who began this scene but infused their tremolo picking and scarred vocals croaks with melodic death metal blasts, thrash metal chugging but mostly they use a lot of folk elements. Plenty of acoustics are used to break up the moments of extremity, whether they are accompanied by violin on Myrrine, some wind instruments on Inside Cosmos which reminds me of Greek traditional music.
The finale Where To Stand is a powerful way to culminate the album, those acoustics used brilliantly as this last track is purely folk/pagan music, the electric guitars put down in favour of acoustic mysticism, the same mysticism that opens the record on Dryope, a gothic darkness covering this record as they deal with Ancient Greek philosophy, an anti-war position and love of nature.
The entire album attempts to confront whether revolutionary idea of rejection of desire for power would lead to a better world. Lofty ideas, I suppose you could describe it as Philosophical Metal, the blend of extreme passages and delicate phases is brilliantly done making Lysistrata an interesting listen. 8/10
Leatherhead - Leatherhead (No Remorse Records)
Formed in Larissa, only two years ago, Leatherhead play speed/thrash/heavy metal, particularly US power metal, influenced by bands such as Jag Panzer, Helstar and Metal Church. Horror themed heavy metal puts thrashy riffs with high-pitched vocals, it's obviously got a lot of Mercyful Fate to it as well.
Signing to No Remorse Records in Athens, Leatherhead fit into the NWOTHM style that this label is all about. A twin axe attack from Zach Karambasis (lead guitar) and Thanos Metalios (rhythm guitar) adds the flavours of early Metallica on Dressed To Kill as song which has a big bass groove from George Bradley.
The production is exactly what you'd want, feeling a rough and retro, Leatherhead playing on that 80's influence with Vampire's Kiss a track where Tolis Mekras' vocals reach their highest peak. The horror themes are a little tried and tested, Helstar practically made a career out of them but it's all quite good fun if you're a classic metal fan, with percussive chug from drummer Michalis Zounarakis and bassist George Bradley comes on Judge Steel.
In the absence of a band like Hell, Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road, Leatherhead provide a theatrical style of old school heavy metal that has been missed. 8/10
Innerverse - Awakenings (Self Released)
This album threw me a little, as it's been in production for over 10 years, it's been a long term slog for composer Lampros Marantos. As Lampros is the only one here, the album is basically a solo record, and it's also instrumental, with the exception of The Promise, which features Lampros' brother Vaslis on vocals.
He's decent singer so I'm not sure why he couldn't lay down vocals for the rest of the album as for all the progressive/symphonic virtuosity on this record, there is something that is lacking and I think that's a vocalist. Produced and mixed by Bob Katsionis, Awakenings is just that, the beginning of what Innerverse do, hopefully the next album doesn't take as long and they shift away from being totally instrumental. 7/10
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