Being or having been a member of Sunburst, Black Fate and Suicidal Angels, Gus Drax is a player you can consider a virtuoso, within these bands he's the melodic intensity, firing off solos and leads galore but with his instrumental solo albums he can show off his skills without the limitations of genres and styles of bands.
His last solo record was over a decade ago so there's probably been a lot of writing going on in the background since then to make sure his second solo record surpasses his debut. He's tapped into his connections to add a who's who of musicians as his studio band.
He has enlisted George Kollias on drums, George Charalampidis on bass, and Bob Katsionis on keyboards, so surrounding himself with only the best to make sure that the rest of the playing here is just as top class as Drax's six string mastery. Elsewhere he has John K adding the orchestrations, Lefteris Pouliouadds sax.
Simone Mularoni mixes and masters everything to bring that clarity that he infused through the prog/power records he's been a part of, and it's that prog/power influence that is at the forefront of Theories Of Imperfection, the likes of Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Michael Romeo all flowing through the fleet fingered skill of Drax.
Tracks such as the melodic dreamscape Nocturnal Waltz, the intense metal Emotive Resonance bring the prog styles of Symphony X and Dream Theater while with Ethereal Horizon and Sombero Attack he channels the likes of Plini or Intervals with the jazzy/mathy refrains. There's even some balladry on Final Atonement while Cosmic Shadow is duet of epic proportions as Andy James add a guest solo.
Closing out with the euphoric and hopeful Everything's Going To Be Alright, Theories Of Imperfection is a stellar instrumental record from this veteran of the Greek metal scene, there's emotional depth, technical brilliance and melodic intensity with the guitar as the main voice, superb! 9/10
Temor - Weeping Waves (Self Released)
Temor are a melodic death/black metal band from Volos formed by guitarist Theo and vocalist Thyragon in 2023. They do something a little bit different with their sound as they employ the skills of Konstantinos Chinis on the Halldorophone an electronic cello that gives them an orchestrated drone to their muscular melodeath.
Joined by guitarist Constantine, bass player Bill Manthos and drummer Nikitas Mandolas, Weeping Waves is their second album and it's one that has them taking a heavier, more blackened approach, that combines the lead guitar driven style of Children Of Bodom with the groove driven sound of modern Rotting Christ and those melodeath veterans Nightrage as well.
Weeping Waves delivers a style that is well engrained but they add an instrument you may not expect to hear, it makes for an interesting take on melodeath. 7/10
Decipher - ΘΕΛΗΜΑ (Transcending Obscurity Records)
His last solo record was over a decade ago so there's probably been a lot of writing going on in the background since then to make sure his second solo record surpasses his debut. He's tapped into his connections to add a who's who of musicians as his studio band.
He has enlisted George Kollias on drums, George Charalampidis on bass, and Bob Katsionis on keyboards, so surrounding himself with only the best to make sure that the rest of the playing here is just as top class as Drax's six string mastery. Elsewhere he has John K adding the orchestrations, Lefteris Pouliouadds sax.
Simone Mularoni mixes and masters everything to bring that clarity that he infused through the prog/power records he's been a part of, and it's that prog/power influence that is at the forefront of Theories Of Imperfection, the likes of Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Michael Romeo all flowing through the fleet fingered skill of Drax.
Tracks such as the melodic dreamscape Nocturnal Waltz, the intense metal Emotive Resonance bring the prog styles of Symphony X and Dream Theater while with Ethereal Horizon and Sombero Attack he channels the likes of Plini or Intervals with the jazzy/mathy refrains. There's even some balladry on Final Atonement while Cosmic Shadow is duet of epic proportions as Andy James add a guest solo.
Closing out with the euphoric and hopeful Everything's Going To Be Alright, Theories Of Imperfection is a stellar instrumental record from this veteran of the Greek metal scene, there's emotional depth, technical brilliance and melodic intensity with the guitar as the main voice, superb! 9/10
Temor - Weeping Waves (Self Released)
Temor are a melodic death/black metal band from Volos formed by guitarist Theo and vocalist Thyragon in 2023. They do something a little bit different with their sound as they employ the skills of Konstantinos Chinis on the Halldorophone an electronic cello that gives them an orchestrated drone to their muscular melodeath.
Joined by guitarist Constantine, bass player Bill Manthos and drummer Nikitas Mandolas, Weeping Waves is their second album and it's one that has them taking a heavier, more blackened approach, that combines the lead guitar driven style of Children Of Bodom with the groove driven sound of modern Rotting Christ and those melodeath veterans Nightrage as well.
Weeping Waves delivers a style that is well engrained but they add an instrument you may not expect to hear, it makes for an interesting take on melodeath. 7/10
Decipher - ΘΕΛΗΜΑ (Transcending Obscurity Records)
Greece's Decipher made a bold noise on their last album Arcane Paths To Resurrection with a style of black metal that honoured both the Hellenic and Scandi scenes.
The trio comprising guitarist/vocalist Kostas Gerochristos (Lucifer's Child), bassist Kostas Ragiadakos (Dephosphorous) and drummer Nodas Chatzopoulos, pull from heavier, broader, and more arcane influences with album number two.
Likened to Varathron, Necormanyia and of course Lucifer's Child, Decipher also have drawn comparison to Emperor and Bolzer, basically any band where the technicality is mirrored by ferocity.
Θελημα (Thelema) has longer more complex songs than on their previous album, the narratives here shapeshift through various guises, driven by a classic black metal rawness but melodic intelligence. Witnessed on the blistering Bound To The Wheel and Hail Death where the influence of Celtic Frost is felt strongly.
Focussing on how they use riffs Decipher lead a black metal charge that will get heads banging with intensity. 8/10
Faceless Envoy - Memoirs Within (Self Released)
Likened to Varathron, Necormanyia and of course Lucifer's Child, Decipher also have drawn comparison to Emperor and Bolzer, basically any band where the technicality is mirrored by ferocity.
Θελημα (Thelema) has longer more complex songs than on their previous album, the narratives here shapeshift through various guises, driven by a classic black metal rawness but melodic intelligence. Witnessed on the blistering Bound To The Wheel and Hail Death where the influence of Celtic Frost is felt strongly.
Focussing on how they use riffs Decipher lead a black metal charge that will get heads banging with intensity. 8/10
Faceless Envoy - Memoirs Within (Self Released)
Despite only appearing in 2024, Faceless Envoy arrived full forged and ready to take over the Greek music scene with their heavy grooves, percussion battery and breakdown driven style of modern groove/metalcore.
Inspired by bands such as Gojira, Sepultura and Orbit Culture, their debut EP announced their presence as a steamrolling new force in the groove metal, giving a short bludgeoning introduction that left you impressed and wondering where they would go from there.
Well here's their debut full length Memoirs Within and it's eight tracks of full force battery, driven by relentless precision of double kicks, low end dirges and repeating riffs that will hurt your neck on tracks such as Ga-Ra.
It's intense and aggressive but brings atmosphere too when they shift from the battery to the melodic phases, vocals that are just as potent when growling as when their clean and sonorous on tracks such as Enemy Down and The Waltz.
Recorded at Sound Symmetry Studio, Memoirs Within, is an album that explores inner conflict and resilience through the dynamic and powerful groove metal of Faceless Envoy. 8/10
Inspired by bands such as Gojira, Sepultura and Orbit Culture, their debut EP announced their presence as a steamrolling new force in the groove metal, giving a short bludgeoning introduction that left you impressed and wondering where they would go from there.
Well here's their debut full length Memoirs Within and it's eight tracks of full force battery, driven by relentless precision of double kicks, low end dirges and repeating riffs that will hurt your neck on tracks such as Ga-Ra.
It's intense and aggressive but brings atmosphere too when they shift from the battery to the melodic phases, vocals that are just as potent when growling as when their clean and sonorous on tracks such as Enemy Down and The Waltz.
Recorded at Sound Symmetry Studio, Memoirs Within, is an album that explores inner conflict and resilience through the dynamic and powerful groove metal of Faceless Envoy. 8/10
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