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INFECTED demo 1996
Yes at least (1996 is that at least?) some demo death metal. From INFECTED comes a nice demo of Hellenic death metal with powerful riffs, brutal vocals, good drumming and killer solos. The demo contains four songs with a quite fast tempo for a death metal group although this is not grindcore or stuff like that. No it's maybe more thrash/death as some riffs reminds me a little of 1980's KREATOR but some riffs are too melodic too to be thrash so I don't really know how to label the music of INFECTED. The cover and layout is done by Panos Sounas and it's nice but the quality could have been better I guess.

Sum Up: 3.7

INFECTED contact: (I don't know the address of the band but you can buy the demo through Demonion Productions)
Alex Antoniou, Agoiu Ioannou 6, Kremasti 85104, Rhodes, GREECE


FUNERAL CHANT "Entrance To Dimensions Unknown" demo 1998
The title of this demo reminds me a little of MORTIIS' "Emperor of a Dimension Unknown". Do you agree? And this demo starts off with a keyboard/synth affair which reminds me a little of MORTIIS. Then when the metal song no traces of MORTIIS left. No this is midtempo black metal with both male and female vocals which reminds me a little of KAWIR. The riffs are good both more black metal and old-school galopping ones. Also some nice keyboard breaks can be heard on this demo. The solos are ok but nothing special. I think that this demo is a little short. It's only the keyboard intro and the metal song "Wrath of Artemis" which are included on the tape. Feels a little short to me.

Sum Up: 3.3

FUNERAL CHANT contact: Dark Archon, Spyrodogianni 37, Polygono, 11522, Athens, GREECE


ENOCH "Starcradle" demo 1998
ENOCH is an original band I must say. They are from Ioannina and play their very own kind of metal. Like their demo starts off a rock 'n roll riff (not even heavy metal) then changes to more usual metal with death vocals. There are also keyboards and piano parts lying over some of the riffs, quite nice together with the spoken vocals. I must say that I got a little surprised when I got this demo because I had only seen the logo before and didn't know the title of the demo. And when you see the logo (which is drawn by Christophe Szpajdel) you really expect some old-school black metal, but as I said this is quite new I think with intelligent music and lyrics. Some really cool power-metal riffs can be found too. The cover is quite nice and all lyrics are included.

Sum Up: 3.5

ENOCH contact: Lefteris Kambalonis, Akadimias 3, 45332 Ioannina, GREECE


UNHOLY ARCHANGEL "Archgoat Incatation" demo
Yes this is brutal stuff. After the short keyboard intro the first real song, "Foronis" starts, and it's one of the six that is included on this demo which is totally dedicated to Pan. Yes this song is very raw and brutal black metal in the vein I like. All the other metal-songs follow the same brutal style and the keyboard songs are very majestive and raw with good vocals not as cheesy as the usual norwegian shit. The musicians is good and the vocals of Iapetos 666 are both brutal and raw, not sissy stuff here. I must say that this isn't anything for the normal melodic black metaller. No this is primitive riff based brutality, with grinding drums almost all the time. The inlay is professional printed and with pictures of the members and lyrics of their songs. That's good. If you get the chance listen to this demo and make your own opinion and then you will also here a brutal cover of SARCOFAGO's "Death Thrash". I must say that I like it.

Sum Up: 3.9

UNHOLY ARCHANGEL contact: Iapetos, Titanon 10 Helleniko, P.O. 16777 Athens, GREECE


URANUS "The Clang of Lances" demo 1998
This is URANUS! And it's so good that it makes you shiver. The only song I had heard before this demo was a song from compilation tape... But they have improved a lot I must say. Really impressive music with a lot of keyboard melodies and nice guitar riffs with artificial harmonic (screams) and angry screamy vocals plus great female vocals. The Clang of Lances includes 5 tracks of very ancient hellenic influenced pagan black metal. The lyrics are dominated by English but som greek strofes appear too. I must say that URANUS are one of the few bands that still have originality in the Greek scene. I think it's strange that they haven't been signed to a label yet, I really that this kind of music would sell pretty good. I have heard that one their newer songs should be included on "...And the Ravens Left the Tower" compilation cd, but I haven't heard it yet and I don't know how well distributed this cd is. But "The Clang of Lances" is one good demo that available at many Greek distros, just choose which you prefer. Also the lay out and the pro-printed cover is great.

Sum Up: 4.2

URANUS contact: Uranus, Poste Restante 15601, Papagou, Athens, GREECE


INVOCATION "Ars Moriendi" demo 1994
This is a really old release from this band but thought that it would be good to include it anyway. It was recored back in 1994 and contains some fine pieces of hellenic black metal. The first song "The Shadows over Innsmouth" is also included on the INVOCATION/MEDIEVAL DEMON split 7" Ep and probably many of you knows that this song kills. And what does the other songs sound like? Well it's the typical INVOCATION style with nice melodic riffs, good solos, aggressive vocals and competent musicanship. This is a classic demo that I think you should add to your music-list.

Sum Up: 3.9

INVOCATION contact: Nick Tsovilis, P.O. Box 40021, 12310, Ag. Varvara, Athens, GREECE


DARK VISION "Nocturnal Prowler" demo
This demo from DARK VISION starts off with a nice piano part which is later followed by something in the powermetal-way with nice solos and riffs. Thats the intro "Insanity of the mind". DARK VISION comes from Pireus and I must say that I quite like this demo. Next song is the title track "Nocturnal Prowler" and it's nice too. I really don't know how I should label their music. No, it sounds a little like Swedish melodic death/black metal but in mid-tempo. So I guess you can call it power-black metal as much of the riffs goes in that style together with the melodic keyboards. The lead-vocals are black metal screamy but the backing vocals are death metal brutal, that's cool to vary I think. Also the musicians are good but this is anyway nothing special. Something that's not too good is the production. The guitarsound is quite weak and overall the sound is not that good.

Sum Up: 3.0

DARK VISION contact: George Konstantakos, Akti Kountouriotou 5, 18534, Pireus, GREECE


DAIMON "Dikhn Boos Pros Bolomon" demo 1999
Well what the hell is this? I don't know really but it doesn't sound too good to me. DAIMON (which has nothing to do with the bassist/vocalist of LEGION OF DOOM) plays very very primitive pagan black metal with ancient hellenic lyrics. The production is very weak and the drums really sound like shit. It says that there is this person named Aris who plays the drums but I must say that I think that is computer drums. Anyway it doesn't sound good. The guitarists are quite good and there are one or two amusing solos and some interesting riffs. The vocals too are okay which reminds me a little of early KAWIR but with not as much extremity as that outfit. All I can add is that is that the guitar sound is a little like BURZUM's guitar sound on the fabulous "Filosofem" album. Well only if you want to listen to some really primitive pagan black metal dedicated to the ancient gods this is for you. I should add that there are some acoustic guitar parts which are quite ok played too.

Sum Up: 1.8

DAIMON contact: Matagos Paris, Ag. Dimitrou Street 30, 16673 Voula, Athens, GREECE


THORN "Memories" demo
THORN is a black metal group from Thessaloniki. After a quite long keyboard/guitar intro the first song starts. Itīs called "Lost in Childish Thoughts". This song is very good midtempo black metal with great monster leads on both bass and guitar. It has a good structure with a lot of good riffs. Itīs a little short though. The rest of songs doesnīt reach as high as the first one but there are some highlights here and there. The music itself is very melodic midtempo blackmetal. The vocals of Nick are screamy and a little bit diffrent. The bass player Kostas and guitarist Odisseas are good both of them. The drummer Stathis is not bad but nothing special anyway. I think the demo costs $US 5. And for that price itīs worth checking out.

Sum Up: 3.2

THORN contact: Morbid Productions, c/o Nick Papanotas, p.o. box 17041, 54210 Salonika, GREECE


DRUTENTUS "In Frigidis Silvis" demo -96
Only after the first few seconds, I knew I was going to like this. The demo, which actually is a two-song sample from an upcoming DRUTENTUS release starts off with "Hiems Immortalis" a really great almost 13 minutes long black metal masterpiece with all elements that I like; clean and distorted guitars, massive keyboard/synth attacks and both screamy and more natural vocals. And of course quite varied drumming. The line-up consists of Hierophant - synth, piano, vocals and Voreas - guitars, bass. You hear quite easy that theyīre using a drum machine which I usually dislike, but in this case it fits the music really, really good. DRUTENTUS are really good musicians you almost canīt hear the few misses in the first song. The second song: "A Cryptic Journey Unto the Dark Side" is a synth tune. A good song with strings, piano, choirs and organs that makes it feel really melancholic. The sound quality is OK with a raw guitar sound which I like. Overall this is a great release that everyone should own. I really want to hear more from this outfit and Iīm waiting for their next release, hopefully theyīve got better sound quality at that time which I think suits this band better.

Sum Up: 4.5

DRUTENTUS contact: HIEROPHANT, 185 Trion Ierarchon, 118 52 Ano Petralona, Athens, GREECE


TATIR "Fons Acheroni" demo
First of all, this release has great full color cover done by Sounas Panagiotis (artwork for Necromantia) which has a great affect when it mirrorize the music youīre abou to hear. The demo starts of with "Mistress of the Mountains", a really good black metal song with a marvellous clean guitar part in the beginning, followed by a massive attack of furious drums and grim guitars. The vocals are rather screamy at some parts but most more deathy than we are used to in this genre, thatīs good! Of course thereīs slower parts too, that reminds me of the glory of Death Metal. Someting else thatīs nicae is that they use flute! You can hear this in the second and last song of the demo; "The Invitation of Heralds". This song starts of quite deathy but later the grinding drums and guitars come to their place. A lot of good breaks and riffs in this song too. But the best part in this song is the bridge where a clean guitar is acompanied by the flute together as thereīs a spoken part in Greek, and it is really beautiful. After that a solo follows, a good solo with delay. Well the sound of "Fons Acheroni" is OK but thereīs too much bass in the mix which is rather annoying. The guitar and drum sound work properly together on the slower and heavy parts but on the faster parts the guitar sound lacks in quality and sounds like overdrive instead of distortion. TATIR consists of: Hierophant (Pagan recitations/fiendish&morbid vocals), Filid of Carpathian Forest (Drums), Necrolord (Guitar/bass and keys), Lord Necrorium (flute). TATIR are very good musicians and especially the drummer is a true hero behind the kit. "Fons Acheroni" is a really good demo and you ought to buy it. Also Iīve heard that TATIR was about to realese a CD but I havenīt seen it so I guess something got in the way.

Sum Up: 4.0

TATIR contact: Same as DRUTENTUS


MACABRE OMEN "Olympus" promo-1996
This is the second demo from the rhodian black metallers MACABRE OMEN and itīs the only one Iīve heard. Also the members of this band is the editors of the Ancient Tragedy īzine which is a really great īzine that you should buy. What can you say about this music? Well itīs not like the usual black metal and itīs really good that they try to break out from the rest of the scene musically. First song is "Olympus, Mountain of the Ancient Gods" which is a pleasant song that got a quite slow tempo which is really good as a change of all furious grinding. Some screamy vocals are of course included to their job well. Thereīs also keyboards playing over the guitars which give a good atmosphere. The remarkable thing about this song is the clean guitar break where the drums are out of beat and thatīs disturbing. The second song, "Cursed Aria" is far more better with a classical guitar intro as later on the drums and the distorted guitars charge forth. This song got a catchy song-riff which I like and the keyboards working frequently on the chorus, or what I should call it. Also a heavy metal lead is included with tapping and so on, quite charming. MACABRE OMEN is: Nikos (Mournful) - vocals and bass, Alexandros (Evil Dark) - vocals and guitar, Polivios - drums. The only one that I can complain on is the drummer as he isnīt the best Iīve heard, but it works quite properly so... This release feels a bit short and thats a reason why a couldnīt set a higher grade.

Sum Up: 3.2

MACABRE OMEN contact: Alex Antoniou, Agoiu Ioannou 6, Kremasti 85104, Rhodes, GREECE


"IO BAKXE EYOI rapsodia A" compilation tape

This is a good compilation tape that the editors of Ancient Tragedy īzine has put together. It lasts for 90 min, itīs got a full color cover and both Greek and foreign bands are included. Here will follow a short presentation of each song. When it does not say where the bandīs from theyīre from Hellas!
Avatar - "The Lost City" Black Metal with keyboards from Belgium. Itīs good and itīs nice to see that a the Beglium scene is growing bigger. Fiendish Nymph - "The blazing shades of the distant moonlight" Atmospheric black metal with a lot mof keyboards and female vocals, good but crappy production. Deviser - 2000 years of lies Yes, Yes! Good provocative title, good musicanship and excellent riffing makes this song one of the best on this tape. Check their CD out! Eternal Winter - "Daylight Reflection" This song is totally awesome with great riffing marvellous keyboards, grim death vocals and a cool solo. The best thing is that it doesnīt sound so typical greek which is a big plus. Absolutely the best song on this tape. Uranos - "Stiria Mirkala" Starts of as brutal death/black metal with really good riffs but that soon changes to something sounding like african drumming but I think I like their originality. Also some eastern influences can be heard from the keyboards. Prophecy - "Primordial Quest" Folkore metal with black metal vocals from France. Except for the discordant classical guitar in the intro this is quite good. Some heavy parts and a few riffs which are really good. Nocturnal Howling - "The Vampire" Not so tight death metal. Brutal though, which is good. Legion of Doom - "The Desecration/Meseonas" This is the two last songs of Legionīs debut album. Legion of Doom is one of those "Like ém or hate them" -bands. And I defintively is one of the likers of this mighty band. These songs are really good and with the last being the outro of the first side.
The second side starts of with Invocation - "The Flowers on my Grave" This is quality black metal from one of my favourite groups. Cool clean guitar intro followed by by effective riffing and excellent melodies. Good vocals too. A Mind Confused - "Enchantress of the Dark" This is quite typical demo-death metal from Sweden. Check out their debut - CD, it kills! The Season of Wither - "Withered" Reminds me a little of My Dying Bride and Therion maybe with the piano and everything. Both clean and less clean vocals which are good at most parts. Exciting to hear this kind of music coming out of Greece. Really cool heavy metal wha-wha solo. Mortals Dream - "Pain of Dying" Death Metal! Nothing to add except thatīs too much bass in the mix and a cool solo. In the Woods - "Wotanīs Return From Norway, overvaloured I think but a lot of people like them. Some nice melodies though and good vocals. Unholy Throne - "Full of Lies" Taken from a live-demo this song has crappy production, untight musicians and far too discordant guitars. As far as the keyboardīs not playing it sounds OK but when it enters youīll hear what catastrophy it is. I donīt know if it is supposed to be evil or if it is because itīs a live demo, it stinks anyway. Primigenium - "Feeling at One With the Night" Black Metal from Spain. First Iīve heard from Spain actually and I like it a lot. Impressive musicanship and great riffing makes you remember this song. Original screamy vocals which take some time to get used to but after that you will dig this for sure. Wintergods - "Behind the Gates" A synth keyboard instrumental song, melancholic, majestive and depressive.
Well that was all and it wasnīt a few songs huh? I think if you hear this tape youīll get a picture about greek metal even though it is from 1996.

Sum Up: 3.5

Contact: Same as MACABRE OMEN