Greece's oldest thrash band, formed in 1984, don't you know? Bring back the old school thrashing with their eighth album Frequency Of Illusion. Their 2022 album Resurgence brought Flames back from an extended hiatus and reminded many that the band has just as much potency and importance to their own scene as the 'Big Fours' of the Bay Area and German scenes.
Flames musically owe more to the German sound of thrash, maybe even the UK scene too, it's a bit nastier, a bit darker, with Kreator, Sodom and Onslaught all present in their sound over the years, though with album eight they add the alcohol fuelled madness of Tankard on Thrashin' Beer, but for the majority of the album it's rapid start-stop blasts from the guitars of Thomas Trampouras and Chris "RB" Lee which move from chuggy thrash riffage into dive bombs and solos.
Some guest solos coming from Manos Triantafyllou on Thrashin' Beer and Dressed In Black Suede. Nick "Yngve" Samios drumming goes non stop on Lightbringer and The Great Deciever and pretty much every song. The vocals from Thomas just as nasty, often snarling along to the melody rather than trying to do anything too radical, Andy Kirk's bass adds a crossover touch by being nice and high in the mix on the sludgy Ornea.
Production this time comes from David Prudent at Made In Hell Studios giving Frequency Of Illusion an retro thrash sound, especially through headphones. They divulge into theatrics on The Arsonist and Drag You Down gives a mid pace groove. Flames do all the things you'd want a thrash band formed in the 80's to do, these Flames are still red hot. 8/10
Astarte - Blackdemonium (SleaszyRider Records)
Formed under the name Lloth in 1995 by Tristessa (bass/guitar/composer), Kinthia (vocals/guitar) and Nemesis (guitar), they renamed to Astarte after a demo, but the Athens still have the distinction of being the first all-female black metal band. Under the Astarte moniker, they released five studio albums, splitting in 2004, they reformed in 2013 with just Tristessa and Melanomorfos in the band.
They we're planning a sixth album when Tristessa sadly passed away due to leukaemia in 2014, causing the band to split up fully. Melanomorfos (aka Nicholas Maiis), reformed Lloth, paying special attention to the T in memory of his wife and they have been playing and recording since 2014, shifting into a melodic black metal sound.
But Tristessa's work with Astarte wasn't finished, that sixth album already had a title, Blackdemonium, and here 11 years later it comes to fruition. Spearheaded by Maiis, the bare bones recordings were crafted into this nine track tribute, with Maiis finishing the production alongside mix and master by Steve Lado.
But Tristessa's work with Astarte wasn't finished, that sixth album already had a title, Blackdemonium, and here 11 years later it comes to fruition. Spearheaded by Maiis, the bare bones recordings were crafted into this nine track tribute, with Maiis finishing the production alongside mix and master by Steve Lado.
Blackdemonium is a throat ripping tribute to the work of Tristessa, the vocals are savage, a black metal empress imposing her rule over these deliberately more aggressive style of songs. The focus on this record was to make things shorter and angrier, bringing in death metal to add some Melanomorfos growled counterpoint to her black metal screams.
An in your face tribute to Astarte's founder, the voice, music and passion of Tristessa lives on though these songs. 8/10
Night Resident - Total Obscurity (Self-Released)
Coming back from the grave with their first collection of new music since 2021, Greek occult rockers Night Resident, get darker and more gothic on their third record Total Obscurity. Leaning into what Unto Others, Tribulation and others have been doing over the last few years, Night Resident embrace dark wave, post-punk and manage to make their music a bit darker and stranger with album three.
The dual harmonies in the jangling guitars and the vocals are still very much on point, as they channel isolation, existential dread and a general downbeat atmosphere, but they do so with songs that move a little bit faster than their earlier records. Fat basslines get the pace of Like Trees In The Fall going, putting some technical moments behind the simple riffs, then with Summer Night Tale, they rely more on open chords as those goth touches get stronger.
This is also one of the songs that uses the double vocal approach best. The whole experience is enlivened by the warm analogue production, giving clarity to everything but also a retro authenticity to some of the originators of this occult rocking, though the spirit of NWOBHM is retained by a track like Echoes Of Eternity and Ghosts Of The Future.
Occult rock that spreads scores a few influences, this Night Resident looks set to stay in the spooky and mysterious. 8/10
Absinthe Green - Of Love And Pain (SleaszyRider Records)
Many of may have seen the recent press about the band Dogma, it was a harrowing insight into the scummy practices that still take place in the music industry. It especially showed how women are so often still treated as second class citizens in the industry. The catalyst for this expose was Eirini Papadopoulou aka Absinthe Green, who had applied to join the band but refused and took a stand to expose what was actually happening behind the scenes.
Hailed as hero for women as representation in the music scene, this pro-women agenda has always been at the heart of what Absinthe Green does in her music. Of Love And Pain is her debut album, recorded in 2021 with everything written by Erini and produced by her and Hiili Hiilesmaa who also mixes and masters the album. The songs are personal, drawn from
"love, grief, defiance, and redemption" a place where "joy and sorrow coexist".
Beginning as solo project, it's expanded into a full band, the skill of the other musicians interpreting Erini's ideas, into some avant garde alternative rock that comes from the 90's, tracks such as Dead Before My Eyes delivering attitude filled rock n roll with sneering vocals and big guitars. From the bluesy swagger of Give The Devil His Due, through the anthemic War Inside My Head, metallic chugs such as Same Old Fire and Spineless (which has a snippet of Orwell's 1984 at the beginning).
With influences from artists such as Alanis Morissette, 4 Non Blondes, Garbage and Skunk Anansie, Of Love And Pain is Absinthe Green's manifesto as an artist and as a woman in the music industry, it deserves your attention. 8/10
An in your face tribute to Astarte's founder, the voice, music and passion of Tristessa lives on though these songs. 8/10
Night Resident - Total Obscurity (Self-Released)
Coming back from the grave with their first collection of new music since 2021, Greek occult rockers Night Resident, get darker and more gothic on their third record Total Obscurity. Leaning into what Unto Others, Tribulation and others have been doing over the last few years, Night Resident embrace dark wave, post-punk and manage to make their music a bit darker and stranger with album three.
The dual harmonies in the jangling guitars and the vocals are still very much on point, as they channel isolation, existential dread and a general downbeat atmosphere, but they do so with songs that move a little bit faster than their earlier records. Fat basslines get the pace of Like Trees In The Fall going, putting some technical moments behind the simple riffs, then with Summer Night Tale, they rely more on open chords as those goth touches get stronger.
This is also one of the songs that uses the double vocal approach best. The whole experience is enlivened by the warm analogue production, giving clarity to everything but also a retro authenticity to some of the originators of this occult rocking, though the spirit of NWOBHM is retained by a track like Echoes Of Eternity and Ghosts Of The Future.
Occult rock that spreads scores a few influences, this Night Resident looks set to stay in the spooky and mysterious. 8/10
Absinthe Green - Of Love And Pain (SleaszyRider Records)
Many of may have seen the recent press about the band Dogma, it was a harrowing insight into the scummy practices that still take place in the music industry. It especially showed how women are so often still treated as second class citizens in the industry. The catalyst for this expose was Eirini Papadopoulou aka Absinthe Green, who had applied to join the band but refused and took a stand to expose what was actually happening behind the scenes.
Hailed as hero for women as representation in the music scene, this pro-women agenda has always been at the heart of what Absinthe Green does in her music. Of Love And Pain is her debut album, recorded in 2021 with everything written by Erini and produced by her and Hiili Hiilesmaa who also mixes and masters the album. The songs are personal, drawn from
"love, grief, defiance, and redemption" a place where "joy and sorrow coexist".
Beginning as solo project, it's expanded into a full band, the skill of the other musicians interpreting Erini's ideas, into some avant garde alternative rock that comes from the 90's, tracks such as Dead Before My Eyes delivering attitude filled rock n roll with sneering vocals and big guitars. From the bluesy swagger of Give The Devil His Due, through the anthemic War Inside My Head, metallic chugs such as Same Old Fire and Spineless (which has a snippet of Orwell's 1984 at the beginning).
With influences from artists such as Alanis Morissette, 4 Non Blondes, Garbage and Skunk Anansie, Of Love And Pain is Absinthe Green's manifesto as an artist and as a woman in the music industry, it deserves your attention. 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment