Mahakala, Black Hat Bones, Forsaken Memoriam, Burn the Sun @ Six D.o.g.s, 29/06/13, Athens, Greece

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database.

Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.

- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

On Saturday G.U.M (Greek Underground Music) presented the first of (what we assume to be) more fests, consisting of four bands that roughly played between 40-50 minutes each. Two, I knew already: Mahalaka have been high profiling my musical preferences for some time now, and having released their new concept album two months ago, I could not resist paying close attention to the occult thematology which I find mischievously engaging. Black Hat Bones I had seen once before, receiving their promo four track teaser (from their upcoming album) in late 2011. The album is still under construction two and a half years later. The other two bands Burn the Sun and Forsaken Memoriam were new additions to my Greek band database. Burn the Sun played a continental take on the Desert rock foundations with high tempo power trips amidst all the sand blow back and instrumental parts that brought about something refreshing to a genre that has been played and played since the late 80’s. I heard decent compositions that did not verbatim resemble their sources of inspiration (Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano), impressive high pitched sustained notes, and these were enough to secure a good first impression. The front man’s timid nature whilst addressing the audience in between tracks in contrast with the fervency of his playing was also a winning factor on the modesty meter, as opposed to bands that have offered a lot less on live performances, yet interact in a way that does not do their mediocre music any good. All in all, Burn the Sun are a band I would like to see again, given a taste of their classic Desert riffs rendered with a relished burning desire to differentiate from others of the same musical field.
Forsaken Memoriam came all the way from Crete to play at this fest, possibly hitting two birds with one stone, and staying for the Heavy by the Sea fest featuring epic bands Down and Slayer. Their heavy sound was fitting as a runner up to a ‘Down’ gig, reminding us that it is yet a step closer. Interestingly, although not based in Athens, they had a boisterous crowd below cheering them on, with a sound something along the lines of Southern metal, with pinches of down-tempered glam, entwined with solid sludgy breakdowns. The vocals were well practiced, consistent but in my opinion pretentiously executed. Interestingly enough the vocalist was also the bass player, as is Mahakala’s set-up as well. They revealed the first surprise for the night, a guest singer, whom they called the ‘best singer in Crete’ and what a claim that was! For what it’s worth, they appeared to fully enjoy themselves and delivered a respectable set, although I would not say they gained a die-hard fan in me.
The Black Hat Bones set was the loudest than any aforementioned; I anticipated seeing them for a second time especially since the last time was nearly two years ago. They appeared very together, more so than my last recollection, with awesome drums, a bass that was played with a pick, like a guitar, giving it a less fuzzy feel. They had good stage presence, and I couldn’t help but notice them wearing other local band t-shirts, something that is becoming all the more typical as part of an unofficial ‘support your local band’ movement. The technically spot on vocals had a great range, and the singer’s ability to graciously climb octaves reminded me of Chris Cornell’s tone, further reinforcing their commitment to quality heavy rock. It also proves my point that a front man who is not an instrument player should be able to melt faces with his vocal capacity as a way of justifying his position in the band. On a final note, the self-proclaimed ‘Devil Rockers’ from their upcoming album informed us that they will be the local opening act on the Rockwave Festival bill for the Vibe stage on the 8th July, headlining Iced Earth.
Mahakala are up there, on their own, on Satan’s throne, when he is out of town on business. The subliminal messages of promiscuity on the backdrop in between the all the awesome gruesome graphics already shared on their album release party took the visual part a bit further. I knew what to expect. When you’ve followed a band for some time there can be few surprises, although they did have one in store for us. They began their set by playing shuffled tracks from their latest album ‘Devil’s Music’ a concept record full of occult symbolism. Mahakala made up for requesting a bit more boost on the equipment side for the vocals at the start of the set, by playing almost without a breather between the first few tracks, giving off a sense of urgency. Soon enough they welcomed on stage their initial vocalist rejoining them as a guest after 6 years. In my opinion his appearance failed to enhance the current marketing of the band as their form today is very different to what it was half a dozen years ago, more sludgy and less polished than today, yet his sheer energy fed the older fan base with screams of yore. On a closing note, Mahakala are one of the few bands that believe so much in what they portray, so vested in a vision that will create a healthy challenge in itself for the band’s future development.
- See more at: http://burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/4115-mahakala-black-hat-bones-forsaken-memoriam-burn-the-sun-six-d-o-g-s-29-06-13-athens-greece#sthash.utx0gQ7a.dpuf

Josh Homme article and QOTSA '...Like Clockwork' album review for Burst! Magazine

My tribute article on Josh Homme, pages 6-9.

Read full article here: http://issuu.com/burstmagazine/docs/burst_magazine_july_2013

Preview below:

'...Like Clockwork' album review p. 55

Stonebringer, Skinny Whales, Indian Revolver live @ Six D.o.g.s

The first summer night of 2013 found me at Six D.o.g.s to experience live performances affiliated with SAE Athens in some way. And although the place was perhaps not fitting for the time, a night out with SAE Athens at a live gig venue is never 3 hours badly spent. Three very different bands, each with their own sense of 'music', graced the stage in a live gig that I undoubtedly enjoyed most out of recent others.

First up, the guests of the night, Indian Revolver. These guys were like an explosion. Kudos number one to the lady manning the drums who made me forget about my initial comparison to Meg White. A second kudos goes to the diversity of each song that was played. On one track I got a strong ska vibe, on the next it was something between a true rock 'n' roll beat with garage riffs and a psychedelic polish; further to that there were underlying melodic influences of blues, yet the vocals were deeply rooted in grunge. There was also a mishap, or at least that's what it sounded like to me, unless it was (for some obscure reason) intentional, when it felt that they could not synchronise for a while on one specific track. Although it sounded a bit all over the place for the first couple of minutes, a third and final kudos for 'saving' it and delivering a very good performance once the sync issue got sorted, with buzzing energy.

Skinny Whales were the 'Indie' Intervention. The Alternatives. I am not a fan of this sort in all honesty, so I felt slightly bipolar watching them, something between concentrating hard on one song, then lapsing on the next. Indie is such a broad genre that if you do not own it, you will get lost in all its twists and turns. I would describe the Skinny Whales sound as easy, laid back and for a brief moment it took me to a time of fewer worries. I think mission accomplished for a first time listener. The band played well, they seemed to enjoy the set and as this showed the more up-tempo the set became, culminating in the finale cover of "I wanna be your dog" which was done tastefully.

Stonebringer, the biggest name on the bill, are a band that in my opinion should not be missed nor overheard. They are heavy as lead, with the wind of metal behind them, and the elegance of progressive instrumental revelries in their compositions that makes you wonder: heavy? and metal? They make it work splendidly. With their EP released late last year, 'Ocean of the Brave', which is produced by SAE Athens and renowned Chris Tsagarides, Stonebringer have evolved showing that they are not just another heavy band. They have an inherently heavy sound but with intellect, purpose, passion and a vision that is refreshingly newly found. The fan base at the gig was large, and, feeding off the bands' intensity, the majority sang along lyrics they knew, and head banged to new songs they have not yet learned, which are to be recorded shortly. The encore gave the evening a satisfied closure as they played 'Smoking Rainbow' and one of the guitarists could not resist taking his dripping wet t-shirt off, and playing topless among the front rows of the crowd.

http://www.burstzine.com/concerts/live-reports/item/3937-stonebringer-skinny-whales-indian-revolver

Drunk Motherfuckers, 2theBone, Audiobreed @ Six D.O.G.S

Λόγω ανειλημμένων μεταμεσονύκτιων υποχρεώσεων έμεινα μόνο έως το τέλος του set των Drunk Motherfuckers, και έτσι δεν μπόρεσα να δω τους ξενιτεμένους πατριώτες, Cherries on a Blacklist, να πάρω (ψυχρό) αέρα από Γερμανία. Δεν πειράζει, διόλου δε με χάλασε, αφού είχα ήδη δει τρείς μπάντες.

Audiobreed: Πραγματικά εξεπλάγην. Ένα στυλ που είναι διαφορετικό σε σχέση με ότι έχω δει /ακούσει από εγχώριες μπάντες. Σίγουρα δεν πρέπει να τους ενοχλήσει αν τους παρομοιάσω με τους μοναδικούς, κατ’ εμέ, RATM – μπορεί βέβαια να έχουν βαρεθεί να το ακούνε, ποσώς με ενδιαφέρει. Με ενδιαφέρει ότι την επόμενη φορά που θα ακούσω για live τους, θα ψηθώ για να πάω συγκεκριμένα και όχι σαν αυτή την φορά, δηλαδή να τους δω από σπόντα. Εμφάνιση δυναμική και δεμένη, με πολύ καλό ήχο που κυριολεκτικά σε ‘γέμιζε’ αλλά δεν σε ξεπερνούσε. Μία πιο ραφιναρισμένη εκδοχή των RATM λοιπόν με απολαυστικά τύπου-ραπ φωνητικά πάνω σε heavy εύηχες μελωδίες, που με συνεπήρε εκεί που δεν το περίμενα. Κοίτα να δείς. Με ένα δίσκο που βγήκε πέρυσι στο ενεργητικό τους, πάνε για δεύτερο μέσα στο 2013. Υποσχόμενο, θα έλεγα.

Επόμενοι οι 2theBone, η δεύτερη σπόντα της βραδιάς. Για αυτά τα παιδιά τι να πω, γενικά είχαν μια καλή κεντρική ιδέα όπως του να παίζουν χαλαρές, κατά βάση, απλοϊκές συνθέσεις με έναν γενικά soft ανάλατο χαρακτήρα (σαν τα χαμηλών λιπαρών βούτυρο-spreads, ένα πράγμα) και να αλλάζουν ξαφνικά με κάτι χωσίματα απο το πουθενά που σε έπιαναν απροετοίμαστο τελείως. Τα progressive ξεσπάσματα που έβγαζαν μία desert (Mεξικoύ παρακαλώ, όχι Αμερικής) αύρα δυστυχώς μου φαινόντουσαν πολύ μικρά σε διάρκεια, και θα προτιμούσα να ήταν η πλειοψηφία των κομματιών τους σε αυτό το tempo και άποψη. Δεν ήταν. Έχανα γρήγορα το ενδιαφέρον μου και το μυαλό μου ταξίδευε προς το tequila bar των Δύο Αθάνατων δίπλα από το Six d.o.g.s.

Το κλείσιμο της δικής μου βραδιάς έγινε με τους Drunk Motherfuckers με τις καλύτερες εντυπώσεις. Stoner, stoner και πάλι stoner (καραμέλα έχει γίνει πιά αυτός ο όρος), με μεταλλικό βάρος και ψυχή. Εάν δεν έχεις σιχαθεί ακόμα το stoner, δεν θα το σιχαθείς ούτε αφού ακούσεις τους DMF. Άξιοι αντιπρόσωποι του είδους, τα παλικάρια έδειχναν να το διασκεδάζουν στο έπακρο, άνετοι, και μέσα στο χαβαλέ. Τα drums τους ήταν εξαιρετικά. Δεν φανταζόμουν την δεξιοτεχνία του drummer έχοντας δει μόνο την πλευρά του ως vocalist των Harsh Demise. Αυτή η φάση, η ‘δίπορτη’, με έβαλε σε σκέψεις για το πώς και το γιατί κάποιοι άνθρωποι είναι πολυμήχανοι και κάποιοι άλλοι θεωρούν κατόρθωμα να μην πνιγούν σε μία κουταλιά αλκοόλ. Ε, νερό ήθελα να πω. Βέβαια, δεν κατέληξα κάπου. Δεν ήταν ώρα για φιλοσοφίες εξάλλου. Στο θέμα μας, εάν οι Kyuss (πλέον) Lives!, τότε οι DMF είναι η Reloaded! εκδοχή τους, βαδίζοντας στο μονοπάτι που χάραξαν οι πρώτοι αλλά με πιο πολλά sludge στοιχεία, τεχνικές ιδιομορφίες στις συνθέσεις τους που ήταν αξιοσημείωτες και με το αλκοόλ ως ‘καύσιμο’ τους.

http://www.crackhitler.com/v3/28/drunk-2bone/

Stonebringer, Harsh Demise, Bombing the Avenue @ AN Club

Ένα live που μου άφησε μια γλυκόπικρη γεύση γιατί το περίμενα πως και πως πέντε ημέρες μετά το Πασχαλιάτικο κλαρινο-γλέντι το οποίο εντός Ελληνικών συνόρων δεν αποφεύγεται εντελώς με τίποτα. Συν του ότι είχα την ευκαιρία για ένα sneak listening των νέων κομματιών του επερχόμενου δίσκου των Stonebringer στο studio τους και είχα ενθουσιαστεί με την πολυμορφικότητα του ήχου τους. Θα έβλεπα και τους guests, Bombing The Avenue, που τους χαίρομαι κάθε φορά, αλλά και τους Harsh Demise έτσι για να γουστάρει και η μεταλλού μέσα μου που έχει ψιλό χαθεί τελευταία.

Οι guests ΒΤΑ έκαναν μία καλή εμφάνιση παίζοντας τα πλέον γνωστά τους από το EP Avido αλλά και 3 κομμάτια εκτός EP, το Everyone που το θυμόμουν ξεκάθαρα από το προηγούμενο live στο Six D.o.g.s εκτός των άλλων, όπως και ένα ολόφρεσκο ανώνυμο, όχι, έτσι μου είπαν ότι το λένε το αβάφτιστο ορεξάτο, No Name. Και εδώ αναρωτιέμαι μήπως πλησιάζει η στιγμή οι ΒΤΑ να εδραιώσουν λίγο καλύτερα την θέση τους στην εγχώρια μουσική σκηνή με μία νέα ολοκληρωμένη δουλειά; Προς τα εκεί πάει το θέμα δηλαδή γιατί όλο τυράκια μας πετάνε. Η ενέργεια τους ήταν όπως την περίμενα, ακαριαία και σταθερά υψηλή και παρέσυραν τους πρώτους πιο σκληροπυρηνικούς παρευρισκόμενους σε mosh pit και έναν καυλωμένο σε stage dive. Από την μέση περίπου του set τους και μετά βέβαια, παρατήρησα ότι από την ένταση έτρεμε έντρομο πάνω μου το jacket μου, κάτι που για την εμφάνιση των BTA δεν με χάλασε, ίσα ίσα, απλά έπρεπε να με προϊδεάσει για αργότερα, σαν οιωνός.

Οι πρώτοι του double bill της βραδιάς, Harsh Demise ήταν αμείλικτοι, άμεσοι, και σφοδροί. Κατέκλυσαν το stage 2 κιθάρες, μπάσο, τραγουδιστής. Συνωστισμός. Ήχος καμπάνα, ανησυχητικά καλός για τα δεδομένα του An. Συμβαίνουν και τέτοια. Φωνητικά όσο πεντακάθαρα μπορεί να είναι δεδομένου της throaty απόδοσής τους και το έντονα hardcore στοιχείο τους. Το κοινό φυσικά και ακολούθησε χωρίς ενδοιασμούς. Οι εκπλήξεις ήταν οι εξής: οι ικανότητες του τραγουδιστή ως percussionist, η εμφάνιση του τραγουδιστή των Potergeist για τον Panter-ικό ύμνο I’m Broken που τα έσπασε, και το Sad But True cover επίσης που τολμώ να πω ότι μου άρεσε να το ακούω σε άλλη χροιά φωνής πέραν του Hetfield, έτσι για αλλαγή βρε αδερφέ! Και με ένα κλείσιμο κουτί, με το δικό τους Four Years το οποίο όταν το είχα ακούσει ανάμεσα σε άλλα γνωστά tracks άλλων καλλιτεχνών, μου έκανε αρκετή εντύπωση ώστε να ψάξω να βρω τους δημιουργούς (αφού δεν είναι Pantera, τότε τι είναι;)

Οι Stonebringer είχαν το δύσκολο έργο να βγουν μετά από ένα σετ καθαρού metal με απόδοση ήχου γκόνγκ και βάλε. Ξεκίνησαν παίζοντας όλο το EP τους Ocean of the Brave, χαλαρά και όμορφα. Τα φωνητικά τους, στις χαμηλές εντάσεις που παιζόταν το Ocean of the Brave, μπορούσα να διακρίνω ότι είχαν βελτιωθεί παραπάνω από την ηχογραφημένη version τους και το απόλαυσα δεόντως. Όταν όμως άρχισαν να παίζουν τα καινούργια τους, Rubin και Emerald υπήρχε μία ασυνεννοησία μεταξύ των 2 κιθάρων, μπάσου, 2 φωνών, εξοπλισμού και sound booth, η οποία συνεχίστηκε και στα πιο δυναμικά τους, Voodoo Woman και Smoking Rainbow. Η μία φωνή κυρίως δεν ακουγόταν από τον εξοπλισμό και την ένταση όλων των άλλων στοιχειών. Ακόμα δεν ξέρω που να την αποδώσω αλλά το τεχνικό αυτό θέμα φάνηκε μάλλον και λόγω της περιπλοκότητας της σύνθεσης της μπάντας και των κομματιών. Ο υπόλοιπος κόσμος δεν είδα να πτοήθηκε καθόλου, συνεπαρμένος από της μελωδίες τους και μόνο. «Ευφυής μουσική» όπως άκουσα από άτομο που είχε την πρώτη επαφή μαζί τους εκείνο το βράδυ. Συμφωνώ και επαυξάνω. Τα καινούργια τους προπάντων εμπνέουν μία ήρεμη δύναμη, αρκετή ανησυχία και ευαισθησία σαν πινελιές ανάμεσα σε καταπελτικά riffs και break downs.

Μίνι spoiler: μπαίνουν για ηχογραφήσεις τον Ιούνιο. Έτσι ρε, Stonebringer.

http://www.crackhitler.com/v3/14/stoneharsh/

ODIOLAB & Friends @ Loukoumi Bar

Το περασμένο Σάββατο βρέθηκα σε ένα μουσικό δίλημμα. Από την μία Νightstalker στο PassPORT μαζί με Drunk Motherfuckers & Audiobreed. Οι Stalker το πιο πιθανό να έκαναν για άλλη μία φορά το εγχώριο stoner rock κοινό τους να μαστουρώσει από πολυακουσμένα riffs, παλιών και πιο πρόσφατων κομματιών, άλλωστε έχουν και φανατικούς που δεν χάνουν ούτε το καθιερωμένο live τους κάθε παραμονή Χριστουγέννων. Τους Audiobreed μάλλον δεν το έχει το κάρμα μου να τους δω, αποχώρησαν από το bill του AN Club στο Defcon την τελευταία φορά που το επιχείρησα. Όσο για τους Drunk παρότι είναι μία μπάντα με heavy χαβαλέ και το γαμιστερό ‘3D’ είπα ότι όλο και κάποιο άλλο live θα κάνουν, σαν νέα παιδιά, γεμάτοι booze fuelled ενέργεια.

Από την άλλη ένα free live των ODIOLAB, ένα ambient δίδυμο που είχα δει πρώτη φορά στην παρουσίαση του EP των Stonebringer, με ήχο πειραματικού new age και παγανιστικά ψυχεδελικό που σε στέλνει σε άλλη ψυχοτροπική διάσταση. Είπα λοιπόν να ακολουθήσω τον δρόμο των…μανιταριών που με οδήγησε στο Loukoumi Bar Μοναστηρακίου.

Ο χώρος του μαγαζιού ήταν κακή επιλογή για το συγκεκριμένο live. Θέσεις αποκλειστικά σε ψηλά σκαμπό – έναν καναπέ πολύ τον ήθελα. Κάτι καρακάξες που μάλλον έφαγαν πόρτα από κανένα Fridays βρήκαν εκείνη την ώρα να αναλύσουν το κουτσομπολιό της εβδομάδας με σκοπό να μην ακούγεται η πρώτη εμφάνιση της βραδιάς της Άννας Στερεοπούλου, που πάλευε από την μία με χαμηλό ήχο εξοπλισμού και τις καραξοκραυγές από την άλλη. Σταμάτησε, μας εξήγησε ότι δεν τις έβγαινε αυτό που ήθελε να παίξει, και άλλαξε πορεία πιάνου και τελικά απέδωσε ένα συμπαθητικό set από ευχάριστες αλλά όχι και αξιομνημόνευτες μελωδίες. Ίσως αν οι ενοχλητικές χάριτες έκαναν και λίγο μόκο να μπορούσα να το εκτιμήσω καλύτερα.

Βεβαίως, αισθητά άλλαξε το κλίμα όταν ανέβηκαν οι ODIOLAB – το δίδυμο, plus one (η Cally Lampaditi). Μπήκαν με άλλο αέρα, πολύ σωστά ρυθμισμένο ήχο και όλοι έβγαλαν επιτέλους τον σκασμό. Πραγματικά χάθηκα. Ούτε θυμάμαι πόσην ώρα την πάλεψα στο ψηλό μου σκαμπουδάκι εκεί στο μπαρ, στριμωγμένη δίπλα στο κενό για τους σερβιτ-ωραίους. Βάθος, ηχώ, εκτάσεις, ανυψωτικά φωνητικά και ποικίλα ακούσματα, σε κάποιες φάσεις σχεδόν πρωτόγνωρα, με πήραν από το αυτί και με πήγαν σε τοπία ανεξερεύνητα, παρόμοια με τις εικόνες του backdrop που δημιουργούσε το projector, με κατάληξη στα Ηλύσια Πεδία του μυαλού μου, μέσα από το deep ambient dub τους. Και όλα αυτά σχεδόν natural high κατάσταση, που να υπάρξει δηλαδή και καμία ενίσχυση ή και ο πολυπόθητος καναπές!

Μέχρι εκεί με άφησα να το ζήσω. Το σκαμπό μπροστά στο πολυσύχναστο μπαρ δεν μου είχε έρθει καθόλου Loukoumi καθώς κάθε τρείς και λίγο κάτι θα μου χάλαγε την αύρα στην οποία τόσο ήθελα να αφεθώ.

Πόρισμα. Να τους ξανακούσω πολύ ευχαρίστως, με ένα καλύτερα face and stool control όμως.
Δίδαγμα. Όταν άφηνες τις rock σου ρίζες για να πάς για ambient βρούβες, όλο και κάποια καρακάξα σε σκαμπό θα βρεθεί να στην χαλάσει.

http://www.crackhitler.com/v3/29/odiolab/

MAHAKALA DEVIL’S MUSIC

Δεν περίμενα κάτι λιγότερο από τον πρώτο concept δίσκο των Mahakala. Αναμφισβήτητα είναι ένα μεταφυσικό οδοιπορικό στους 9 κύκλους της κολάσεως για έναν φιλόδοξο θνητό που βρέθηκε στο διάβα του Διαβόλου, διατεθειμένος μάλιστα να διαπραγματευτεί μαζί του, να χορέψει στον μεταλλικό ρυθμό της μουσικής του έκπτωτου Εωσφόρου, και να καταστραφεί διαφθείροντας την ψυχή του.

Το Devil’s Music ανοίγει με το Come Rise, το οποίο έχει ένα μελωδικό instrumental που με παραπέμπει σε μεσαιωνική εποχή, ανήσυχη και σκοτεινή. Καθώς εμπλουτίζεται σταδιακά με βαρύτερες νότες και την απαιτούμενη “βρωμιά”, είναι σαν να σχηματίζονται οι πρώτες εικόνες της ιστορίας, και σου μένει μία αίσθηση αγωνίας για το επόμενο κομμάτι.

O Evil Man όμως δεν χάνει χρόνο. Παρουσιάζεται στον θνητό μας, ο οποίος τον υποδέχεται με ανοιχτές αγκάλες. Σε ανταλλαγή της φιλοξενίας του, ο κακός και σακάτης Evil Man του κάνει φιλοφρονήσεις, του δίνει υποσχέσεις εξουσίας, και του προσφέρει απαγορευμένες γνώσεις, πράγματα που όσο εξωπραγματικά και αν ακούγονται στον πρωταγωνιστή, η διψασμένη μεγαλομανία του τα αποδέχεται άνευ όρων. Σε αυτό το σημείο φλέγονται οι ουρανοί και μαυρίζουν οι θάλασσες, εφόσον η επιθυμία του πληρώνεται με σάρκα και αίμα. Η αλλαγή του κομματιού που περιγράφει αυτό το σκηνικό συνεχίζει για το υπόλοιπο μισό με διαφοροποιήσεις στο ρυθμό κρατώντας εντάσεις ψηλά μαζί με το αρχικό power riff που ήταν σαν να μη μας άφησε ποτέ.

Και κάπως έτσι κλείνεται ένα Pact with the Devil. Του δίνει την ψυχή του και ζητάει σοφία και γνώσεις, απαρνούμενος την ευτυχία και τα υλικά πλούτη. Το κομμάτι αυτό αποτελεί έναν από τους θεμέλιους λίθους του δίσκου, και έτσι ακούμε ένα από τα πιο μεθυστικά riff του, σε συνδυασμό με φωνητικά που μπαίνουν εξουσιαστικά πάνω στο γαργαλιστικό baseline, έχουν εξαιρετικές αρμονίες, βάθος, έκταση αλλά κυρίως βγάζουν πίστη σε αυτό το οποίο εκφράζεται.

Το Promised Land Prelude είναι το δεύτερο instrumental που λειτουργεί σαν πέρασμα στα πιο δυναμικά μέρη του δίσκου. Ακολουθεί το δεύτερο μέρος του Promised Land Salvation που εκφράζει μια ατέρμονη τόλμη στο ότι η σωτηρία του πρωταγωνιστή θα επέλθει όντας δίπλα στον Διάβολο: να του μοιάσει, να γίνει ένα μαζί του, γνωρίζοντας φυσικά ότι είναι εχθροί. Πάντα ήταν, δεν είχε ψευδαισθήσεις περί αυτού.

Ακολουθούν οι ορδές των Modern Saints που ατενίζει ο πλέον Αντί-Ήρωας αφ ‘υψηλού αφού έχει υποστεί κάτι σαν μετάλλαξη σε Βασιλιά-Δαίμονα μέσα από αυθυποβολή αλλά και υποδείξεις του πανούργου Διαβόλου. Αηδιασμένος από ψευτο-θρησκόληπτους, από αγίους της δεκάρας, και φαινομενικούς Σαμαρείτες που του επιβεβαιώνουν ότι η πίστη τους στο ενάρετο αποδεικνύεται φρούδα και να προδίδεται με ευκολία, περιφρονεί το status quo και την άγνοια τους. Αναφέρει επιπλέον ότι αυτός που θυσιάστηκε για να σώσει την ανθρωπότητα, έκανε μια τρύπα στο νερό.

Το επόμενο By My Hand είναι από τα αγαπημένα μου και μέσα στο πλαίσιο του concept, μας μεταφέρει στο μη αναστρέψιμο σημείο της ιστορίας. Νιώθοντας μισός, κάτι μεταξύ ανθρώπου και δαίμονα (σημειώνεται και αλλαγή σε πιο throaty φωνητικά), γεμάτος με αντιφατικά συναισθήματα για την ύπαρξη του, φτάνει στο σημείο να διαφθείρει την ψυχή του σκοτώνοντας την γυναίκα με τα πράσινα μάτια για να κάνει τον σατανικό ‘Dead Man’ που έχει επιλέξει για σύντροφο σε αυτό το ταξίδι, να χαμογελάσει. Σε αυτό το σημείο αλλάζει αισθητά το κομμάτι σε υψηλότερους τόνους, με συμμετρία στις κιθάρες, έκρηξη στα drums και παροξυσμό στο μπάσο.

Συνεχίζει το Murder in Neverland με αρχικό riff που μου βγαίνει να το χαρακτηρίσω σαν reprise του By My Hand η μάλλον σαν καθρέφτισμα του. Ο τόπος βουίζει από τους αντίλαλους της πράξης του, της δολοφονίας. Εδώ μπορώ να πω ότι βλέπω έντονα να μεταδίδεται ένας λυρισμός τύπου Paradise Lost (προς Θεού και Δαίμονα – όχι της μπάντας από το Halifax, αλλά του επικού ποιήματος του επίσης Άγγλου John Milton). Περιγράφεται ο εκφυλισμός και η κατάρρευση της Neverland μέσα από ένα μουσικό συναπάντημα που εκφράζει έντονα την βεβήλωση της ουτοπίας.

Όπως ήταν αναμενόμενο, ξεσπά το χάος. Ξεσηκώνονται οι στρατιές των ακόλουθων σε μία επανάσταση εναντίον του νέου Βασιλιά φοβούμενοι ότι δεν έχουν κερδίσει την εύνοια του και ότι έχει γίνει παράφρονας, δηλητηριασμένος από εξουσία. Έχουν απηυδήσει, έχουν εκστασιαστεί και εξουσιαστεί από φόβο και λειτουργούν με την καλύτερη άμυνα που δεν είναι άλλη από την επίθεση. Lust for your Blood του λένε ξεκάθαρα και διεξάγουν εξέγερση όλοι σύσσωμοι σε ένα heavy παραλήρημα το οποίο δίνει την θέση του σε μία πιο doom διάθεση καθώς κερδίζουν έδαφος.

The King is Dead – τον έριξαν από τον θρόνο πριν προλάβει να κακουργήσει παραπάνω αλλά δεν πέφτει έτσι απλά χωρίς τις αναμενόμενη αναμέτρηση. ‘The king is dead, long live the king’ γιατί ναι μεν κέρδισαν την μάχη εναντίον του, αλλά δεν μπορούν ποτέ να κερδίσουν τον πόλεμο. Πάντα θα υπάρχει ένας κακόβουλος Βασιλιάς να μας καταδυναστεύει γιατί πολύ απλά του ανοίγουμε τις ψυχές μας διάπλατα.

Και όσο διαδραματίζονται όλα αυτά απορώ που βρίσκεται ο “Evil Man”, που μόνο Man δεν είναι. Φαντάζομαι ότι κάπου έχει αράξει και παρακολουθεί το σκηνικό που έχει πλαγίως δημιουργήσει, τρίβοντας με άρρωστη απόλαυση τα κόκκινα χέρια του και γεμίζοντας από υπερηφάνεια για το κατόρθωμά του. Το The Devil’s Song κλείνει συμπερασματικά τον δίσκο και το concept, με τον πρωταγωνιστή να υμνεί τον Διάβολο που τον ξεπέρασε, τον κατέκτησε και τον κατέστρεψε και από δω και πέρα για μία αιωνιότητα, η φθαρμένη του ύπαρξη θα βολοδέρνει κάπου σε αυτό το οποίο ονομάζεται Mahakala: the Great Death, the Great Blackness.

Το Devil’s Music μπορώ σε σύνοψη να το περιγράψω ως εξής. Είναι ένα σύγχρονο συνονθύλευμα των εικόνων που έπλασαν ο Goethe, ο Milton, και ο Dante σε συνδυασμό με το γνωστό heavy occult metal των Mahakala που έρχεται να συμπληρώσει απόλυτα την ενσάρκωση όλου αυτού που περιγράφεται. Δεν θα μπορούσε να υπάρχει καλύτερο ταίριασμα αφού ως γνωστόν, το heavy metal δημιουργήθηκε μέσα από της φλόγες που άφηνε πίσω του ο Σατανάς μία φορά που σέρφαρε πάνω στην Λίμνη της Φωτιάς.

http://www.crackhitler.com/v3/15/mahakala-devils-music/