Sleek - Still Hurts (Good Time Music)
Sleek are a hard rock band from Athens and they take a 90's approach to the style with influences stated as Dokken, Bon Jovi and the UK's own Thunder, you can hear Danny Bowes in the vocals especially, as well as Damian Wilson, from the first moments of the title track.
Despite forming in 2021, this is Sleek's debut album and tries to capture their live sound on record. Still Hurts is a nostalgic ride through the last years of the hard rock explosion before grunge put pay to it.
Now it's a good debut, there's a lot of melody, some big choruses, slickness on the slower track such as Gold, while Empty adds a touch of bluesy The Stones swagger.This definitely a throwback record, they settle on a particular era and stick to it, never really shifting from the sounds of Mr Big, Extreme or Tyketto, Sleek manage to do these bands justice on their debut record, if you like your rock n roll with a lot acoustic flourishes then you'll love Still Hurts. 7/10
Panic Alarm - Panic Alarm (Self Released)
The sound of an alarm and this trio get going with the title track from their self titled album, unfortunately they don't really go much further than a simple riff and shouts of "Panic", I'm a little worried as I was expecting something a bit more impressive from this Greek band founded in 2022 by Alex Kollias. Surrendering Death shows promise, but it's not long until Panic Alarm just revert to simple thrash riffs once again.
The obtuse beginnings of Mr Panic lead into a long instrumental section but the vocals are neither here nor there to be honest, they're buried in the mix, use the same shouts and don't add anything to the songs for me. If I had to make a comparison then I'd say Panic Alarm make me think of Alien Weaponry, these Greeks don't have the folk elements the Kiwis do.
However they unfortunately have the same kind of thrashy groove metal that doesn't excite me as much as it should. 6/10
Explosive Aggression - Subliminal Violence (Self Released)
From groovy thrash to just plain thrash, well crossover thrash if you want to be a pedant as Explosive Aggression feels like early Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies along with more modern proponents such as Municipal Waste or Gama Bomb. Attack Line explodes with blitzing speed, choppy riffs and those rabid vocals before leading into a chunky middle break and pressing the gas again.
It's breathless and bloody good, a classic thrash sound, produced as if it's the 1980's all over again. I can imagine the bodies flying to Lord Of Terror, the circle pits erupting as only the white hi-tops can be seen on the crowd surfers. Subliminal Violence is an EP that captures a mood and this is the back to basics fun of thrash metal.
Panic Alarm - Panic Alarm (Self Released)
The sound of an alarm and this trio get going with the title track from their self titled album, unfortunately they don't really go much further than a simple riff and shouts of "Panic", I'm a little worried as I was expecting something a bit more impressive from this Greek band founded in 2022 by Alex Kollias. Surrendering Death shows promise, but it's not long until Panic Alarm just revert to simple thrash riffs once again.
The obtuse beginnings of Mr Panic lead into a long instrumental section but the vocals are neither here nor there to be honest, they're buried in the mix, use the same shouts and don't add anything to the songs for me. If I had to make a comparison then I'd say Panic Alarm make me think of Alien Weaponry, these Greeks don't have the folk elements the Kiwis do.
However they unfortunately have the same kind of thrashy groove metal that doesn't excite me as much as it should. 6/10
Explosive Aggression - Subliminal Violence (Self Released)
From groovy thrash to just plain thrash, well crossover thrash if you want to be a pedant as Explosive Aggression feels like early Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies along with more modern proponents such as Municipal Waste or Gama Bomb. Attack Line explodes with blitzing speed, choppy riffs and those rabid vocals before leading into a chunky middle break and pressing the gas again.
It's breathless and bloody good, a classic thrash sound, produced as if it's the 1980's all over again. I can imagine the bodies flying to Lord Of Terror, the circle pits erupting as only the white hi-tops can be seen on the crowd surfers. Subliminal Violence is an EP that captures a mood and this is the back to basics fun of thrash metal.
Descend To Hell embraces technicality but then we're back in the maelstrom for Adrenaline Rush. Fiesty, furious thrash from Thessaloniki, more please! 8/10
Faceless Envoy – EP (Self Released)
Mixed and mastered at Bob Katsionis’ Sound Symmetry Studios in Athens, this debut EP from Faceless Envoy is a four song blast of pure aggression. The melodic death metal band from Athens are influenced by the likes of Nightrage, Nightfall and Septicflesh as they blend the brutality with melody, letting the modern, mechanical sound come from the massive drums and biting guitar riffs as they break their first track Ga-Ra down at the end.
Faceless Envoy – EP (Self Released)
Mixed and mastered at Bob Katsionis’ Sound Symmetry Studios in Athens, this debut EP from Faceless Envoy is a four song blast of pure aggression. The melodic death metal band from Athens are influenced by the likes of Nightrage, Nightfall and Septicflesh as they blend the brutality with melody, letting the modern, mechanical sound come from the massive drums and biting guitar riffs as they break their first track Ga-Ra down at the end.
A meaty way to start but then on Indulgentia they flex their prog muscle with a seven minute masterclass in pace, coming from a slow build opening into a steamrolling mid-pace chug, the speed picks up into the chorus and solo section right until the end, the distorted rhythm guitar of Anastasis Iliopoulos a constant factor in the relentless riffs of this band. I’d hazard a guess that if he could he’d just riff forever with Panos Platanistiotis (drums) and Orestis Oulkeroglou (bass) beside him. Lead guitarist Kostas Gialitsis does force his way on to the record with some solos and leads though.
This debut EP shows a lot of promise but there’s a little too much of that one rhythm guitar sound on the EP but that can be rectified on later releases for sure. 6/10
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