Valor – Ark Of Time (Self Released)Valor have 20 years of creating conceptual story driven heavy metal from their base in Athens.
They released their third album in 2017 so there’s been almost a 10 year wait for this fourth release. However after much anticipation Valor are ready to take us on journey to the stars with
Ark Of Time. European power/heavy metal is the name of the game here, inspired by the theatrical sound of Ayreon, Blind Guardian, Manowar, Iron Maiden and Blaze Bayley in the vocals.
It’s a cinematic record build around sing along choruses, twin axe attack and just exciting heavy metal. Keys dance in the background on epics such as The Stars Are Our Destiny while tracks like Secrecy get a hefty gallop to them. The sci-fi storytelling concerns the last survivors of Earth on massive vessel where all of trials that faced them on Earth like “authoritarian power, manufactured religion, doomed ambition” rear their ugly heads again as the last remnants of the human race try to find somewhere better amongst the stars.
The whole tale is told though eleven tracks and struggle and emotion of the lyrics are delivered brilliantly and with power by Vaggelis Krouskas as the complex arrangements of keys and orchestrations are deftly delivered by Thanasis Lois on Warship, Our God and Unveiling The Truth. Of course without a muscular bottom end, then these songs wouldn’t have the impact they do so the Thodoris’ (Karageorgos – bass and Andritsos – drums) solidify the grooves and pace of these tracks from the thrashy We Shall Rise to the classic metal of Last Of One Race.
There’s also plenty of riffs and solos from Spyros Soldatos and Vasilis Kourkoutas, the guitars sticking to the Euro Power Metal style, weaving harmonies and thundering riffs on Wings Of Steel. Kourkoutas also produces the record to make sure it sounds as vast and dense as the concept behind it, giving it this sci-fi story it’s epic feel.
Though it may have been nearly a decade in the making it’s been worth the wait as Ark Of Time is the most accomplished record from Valor have made yet. 9/10
Krushya – DooMinion (Self Released)
I mean…some bands names are a dead give away. Krushya, they’re called Krush-Ya for goodness sake, it’s pretty apparent that this Patra based trio will bludgeoning you with some explosive death metal.
Founded all the way back in 2000, Krushya bring death, grind and groove, from the underground as they take a D.I.Y ethos in releasing and recording music, they’ve been very industrious releasing albums, live records, EP’s and singles all leading up to DooMinion.
A record driven by pure aggression and veteran instincts, combining their twenty years plus of playing with their most vicious material yet, it’s unrelenting with tracks such as Beauty Of Suffering just destroying you with it’s speed and ferocity, the double kicks of Giorgos “Hellgrinder” Tsafos feeling inhuman.
They know when to shift pace though as Abomination brings some Lamb Of God groove as Blindfolded and Animus are brimming with grindcore rage the guitars of Christos Kalogeropoulos like a chainsaw ripping at flesh as Vagellis “Gator Dust” Papadopoulos barks and growls with his bass/guitar the rhythm abuse.
How you feel about DooMinion and by extent Krushya, is dependent on how you feel about death metal that simply gives no fucks, dynamics and complexity aren’t really the name of the game here, though the songs like A Liar’s Sect aren’t simple, this record is about audio violence, death metal at its meanest. Brace yourself! 7/10
Aeons In Solitude – Black Lumina (Soman Records)
Aeons In Solitude is a two man act from Athens Greece, beginning as a solo project for Alex Roussos in 2016, it evolved into a band later and they released their debut in 2020.
Taking from doom and gothic rock it’s was well received however soundscapes evolve and with their follow up Alex is joined by drummer Nepheli Sofra and as a two piece they move more towards the goth tones of darkwave.
Utilising drums, both real and programmed alongside synths and electronics as the major instruments to sit against Alex’s introspective vocals, though he is also the major player on this record handling the programming, synths, guitars and bass.
Again the record was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fragile Studio in Athens, by Vangelis Yalamas, the influences of Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, The Sisters Of Mercy and even Depeche Mode can all be heard in this atmospheric record, the latter on Fragments and Colours.
Black Lumina shifts Aeons In Solitude away from doom to a different type of heavy where dark ambience envelopes you. 7/10
Blossom Death – Spirit (The Circle Music)
Blossom Death play heavy gothic rock and Spirit is their debut album. The creative outlet for former Sorrowful Angels frontman Kostas “Corax” Katoikos (guitar/vocals), Marita Makaronidi (vocals) and Argy Deligianopoulos (drums), they released an EP in 2019 and a split with In Burial in 2023.
Their journey as a band so far has culminated with Spirit, where they are joined by Johny Litinakis (bass), Vassilis Koronas (lead guitar) and Evmara Katoikou (vocals). It’s heavy goth rock with moments of Draconian, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, romantic female and harsh male vocals in unison over music that avoids overly technical complexity but leans into atmosphere.
Unfortunately the vocals for me are lacking a bit and that’s quite distracting. However there’s a dark atmosphere and introspection throughout these six songs are driven by sweeping instrumentals, heavy riffs, keys and the emotional power of the songs makes it decent goth rock. 6/10
