Yoth Iria - Gone With The Devil (Metal Blade Records)
Yoth Iria embrace their heritage more than ever with their new album, with extensive use of traditional Greek instruments such as clarinet on the classic metal anthem Dare To Rebel and fiddle on Give 'Em My Beautiful Hell, sitting beneath the blasts of Satanic yet melodic black metal. There's also Greek language chants on The Blind Eye Of Antichrist, making for a cinematic third album from this rapidly rising Hellenic Black metal act formed by legendary bass player Jim Mutilator.
Combining the approaches from their previous two albums, they also look to add more density to their sound with these traditional soundscapes such as ancient instruments and chants, used to counter their often Christian message and take things back to pagan beginnings. Flipping dogma on its head with Lucifer as the light bringer, while those that follow the book strictly often create their own hell, telling others about sin but being the most sinful of all, this power used to execute control.
This message of breaking free of the dogma is throughout the album linking all the songs thematically, the spiritualism, the freedom and to coin a phrase the 'non serviam' of Hellenic black metal the overpowering influence on these songs. Musically though they don't limit themselves to black metal, there's the classic heavy metal power of the NWOBHM, particularly Venom, Tank, Angel Witch, the ones that are on the darker side of things, as the evil vocals from He barks, screams and snarls.
Guitarists Nikolas Perlepe and Naberius in bright melodic union as they switch between leads and riffs, the thunderous bottom end of The Mutilator and drummer Vongaar dictating the pace, from blasting black metal, through early thrash, traditional heavy metal groove.
Gone With The Devil is a tonic for the world as it is today, dark music for dark times. Avé Satanas, Avé Yoth Iria. 9/10
Battleroar - Petrichor (No Remorse Records)
One of Greece's longest lasting and most notable bringers of Epic Metal, Battleroar return with album number 6, Petrichor, opening with a spoken word which promises that these songs once spoken "belong to the listener and the storm", we immediately head on the search for The Missing Note, epic heavy metal from first chord as Battleroar are definitely back.
The anthemic inspiration of Manilla Road, Omen, Crith Ungol, Savatage and Manowar are all recognisable from those first huge muscular riffs of Zack Kotsikis and Kostas Tzortzis. Undercut by the chest beating thunder from bassist Lukas Libertos as the velocity is dictated by drummer George Tsinanis. From the first song it gives you exactly what you have been waiting for since 2018.
It's bold, baroque and proper macho heavy metal with fantasy elements writ large across it, as The Earth Remembers highlights Battleroar at their core. With all the massive guitar riff, galloping bass, steel on steel drumming, it's the violin of Alex Papadiamantis that is one of the main 'lead' instruments here. It's used brilliantly to add folky moments on Atē, Hybris, Nemesis, Chaosbane and the battle balladry of What Is Best In Life? taking many of the solos in addition to the guitars.
Petrichor features the vocals of new singer Michael Karasoulis and his voice is dramatic, theatrical but have the gritty snarl when the tracks like Legacy Of Suffering invite evil with gothic and thrash elements ala Iced Earth.
For 26 years Battleroar have fought hard to be in the position they are today, standing as the generals of the Hellenic epic metal scene. With Petrichor they remind anyone who may have forgotten that they are the mightiest of the Greek warriors. 9/10
From The Blackness - Conjuring Power (Self Released)
From The Blackness is the musical creation of Sokratis, founded during the pandemic, the music and lyrics are written by Sokratis and he also performs everything, guitar/bass/keys/drum programming and even backing vocals. Though he brings in some guests to play the guitar solos, mainly George Lazaridis and Riccardo Benedini while the vocals are performed by Finnish session singer Eric Castiglia.
There seems to be something of an unwritten rule about one man projects that they tend to be ok if they're classic/power metal but not as much if they're black metal, no one seems to get annoyed when it's all cool leads and fist pumping but they do when it's about Satan and being evil. I digress but it's interesting as I pressed play I wondered had Sokratis conjured a great debut album?
Well yes and no, musically he's got it spot on, rampaging rhythms, great riffs that have influences from Sanctuary/Nevermore, Iced Earth and Manowar, all bands I love. There's solos that love to just appear and blow the roof off and vocals that are varied and aggressive. It's a great mix of old school heavy metal, thrash and power metal. However the overall impact is let down by the production as it does sound a rather flat and unnatural, the keys and drums especially.
Whether this was a stylistic decision to make it sound retro or just maybe limitations I don't know however it does have quite the punch you'd want. However you have to keep in mind that this a self written, self performed, self produced debut album and there's a lot skill here. With a full band of real players and a bigger production, From The Blackness could be hot on the heels of the big boys on the Greek scene.
As it stands Conjuring Power, has all the potential but the execution let's it down a little. 6/10
Fullmoon Cult - Unleash The Wolves Of War (Khaoszophy Productions)
Back to the more familiar realms of Hellenic black metal and the rough, tremolo riffage of Great Plea To The Realm Of Most which opens the debut full length from trio Fullmoon Cult. The trio go under pseudonyms with Chaos Kommando on drums, Askalaphos on guitar/bass and Alastor on vocals, standard black metal shenanigans really and you can say that about the music as well.
It's full on 35 minutes of frigid blasts, lycan war cries and production that makes it sound like the mics were in another room when they recorded it. Now this is clearly a stylistic choice as it's sort of what black metal should sound like especially that 2nd wave when it was new and dangerous, rejecting the over production.
Now that still doesn't mean I'm hip to it, I much prefer a lot of the black metal bands that fleshed out their sound, however a little bit of this goes a long way and Fullmoon Cult capture that feeling of 2nd wave intensity so if you like it then come howl with their pack. 7/10
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