Posted in Whathaveyou on May 3rd, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Well, we knew Elder and Pallbearer were going to be on tour this Fall, and we knew the same of Truckfighters and Greenleaf. Doesn’t seem unreasonable Fu Manchu and Electric Citizen might keep company on the road in Europe, but of course I don’t know that. Either way, the former was slated to play in 2020 for their 30th anniversary, so it’s nice to think that delayed party will go ahead, and having Naxatras, Irist and Echolot rounding out the first lineup announcement certainly does nothing to hurt Up in Smoke.
There will be more adds, of course. With Keep it Low in Munich and the now-two Desertfest Belgiums in Antwerp and Ghent, Into the Void 2022 in the Netherlands a week after this, and sundry other festivals taking place this Fall, it will be packed (hopefully) and those bands on tour — listed here and otherwise, like Hippie Death Cult, High Reeper, Mothership, and Sasquatch from the US, who’ll all be in Europe for at least part of the season — will have plenty of stops to anchor their runs. It’s a good system. Nice to see it back.
Up inSmoke‘s Spring counterpart, A Day in Smoke, took place in Pratteln this past weekend, and the fest-proper — helmed by Sound of Liberation — had this to say:
UP IN SMOKE 2022 // ARTWORK & FIRST BANDS
Right in time for our single day event ~ A Day In Smoke Festival ~ in Pratteln TOMORROW, we are super happy to share with you the artwork and first bands for its big sibling end of this year:
UP IN SMOKE FESTIVAL 30. September – 02. October 2022 @ Konzertfabrik Z7 – Pratteln
ALREADY CONFIRMED Fu Manchu, Truckfighters, Elder, Pallbearer, Greenleaf, Naxatras, Electric Citizen, Irist, ECHOLOT
TICKETS Available on side at our A Day In Smoke Festival tomorrow E-Tickets available at www-sol-tickets.com
Killer artwork by Brookesia Estudio
Mark your calendars, get your tickets and hopefully see you all tomorrow already!
Posted in Reviews on April 29th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
At some point, there must have been a conversation. I don’t know Thessaloniki, Greece’s Naxatras personally — though they’ve always been very polite in my dealings with them, which counts for a lot in my book — but even if it was the most tentative, “Let’s try something different this time,” there’s no way that a record like IV follows a record like 2018’s III (review here) without a conscious acknowledgement of changing approach. Sure enough, as IV‘s reported storyline is, “A fantasy tale of bizarre landscapes and valiant quests. A saga of transformation,” this would seem to be at least a tacit recognition of the shift that’s taken place in Naxatras over the last few years — one is reminded of the old adage that any act of creation is ultimately telling the story of the creating itself, consciously or not.
And as Naxatras have evolved from the admirably organic, dedicated-to-improvisation jams of III, the prior 2017 single All the Stars Collide into a Single Ray (discussed here), 2016’s II (review here) and EP (discussed here), as well as their 2015 self-titled debut (discussed here), into the spirited and multifaceted progressive rock — classic and modern in kind — that has so clearly here been worked out from those same jams into the 10-song/51-minute entirety of IV, topped with Chris RW‘s likewise lush, fantasy-style cover art, the story in these songs is inevitably also their own. And indeed, it is one of change to such a degree that one can put on old and new Naxatras next to each other and not even realize it’s the same band.
This ambition on the part of the group — a four-piece here for the first time with the welcome addition of Pantelis Kargas on keys and synth alongside the returning trio of guitarist/vocalist John Delias, bassist/vocalist John Vagenas and drummer/percussionist Kostas Charizanis — is remarkable. And it’s not just about having keyboards or vocals for the first time. It extends to the very construction of the songs themselves, even instrumentals like the opener “Reflection (Birth)” later complemented by the more electrified “Reflection (Death & Rebirth)” and the swirling but plotted “Journey to Narahmon” — which has vocals, but no lyrics — and the fact that even the impressionistic, which is not to say vague, placement of the words in “Omega Madness” early on feels intentional.
The calm AOR-on-the-beach realization of “The Answer,” blatantly classic pop, and the accompanying three-minute psychedelic hints of “Ride with Time” are different from anything Naxatras have done before, and they manifest the patience of the band’s jammier past while pushing deeper to hone a present that sees the songs tie together in a full-album flow while serving their own purposes in atmosphere. The band have essentially taken tighter control of the aspects of their creativity they formerly seemed to take such delight in letting roam free while rolling tape to give their listeners as organic an experience as possible.
IV is inevitably defined by this departure. It can’t help but be. The dreamy Rhodes notes, percussion and mellow uptempo strum that emerges in “Radiant Stars” is hypnotic and comes coupled with the ultra-memorable “Horizon” — which is both among the most straightforward of the inclusions and the kind of song that might, if somehow conjured out of a ‘thin air’ jam, might drive a group to reevaluate their processes in the first place — as if to emphasize the point of Naxatras‘ ability to create the world in which this story takes place. Aided by the clear and full production of Nikos Logiotatidis at Magnanimous Recording Studio, who also helmed the admirable mix (Dave Collins mastered), Naxatras are able to present their turn as more than simply that; rather, it is a step forward from who they were and a bolder confrontation against what might be expected of them than more bands would be willing to make.
IVshares its willingness to be beautiful, to be unrestrained by considerations of needing to be weighted-down tonally, needing to be this or that, and needing to be anything other than what the band feels it needs to be, with what Naxatras have done before, but again, it’s the shape that takes that is distinguishing factor both from their past and from the bulk of progressive rock at large, heavy or otherwise. The long stretch of “The Battle of Crystal Fields,” which lays parts after each other in linear fashion and leaves the subsequent “Reflection (Death & Rebirth)” to tie that procession in with the rest of its surroundings — effectively, mind you; it works — feels every bit like the culmination it is because the band are wholly confident in their delivery. Like the best of anything, Naxatras get away with redefining themselves through IV simply by doing it and leaving no room for questions.
That said, Naxatras are of a profile as regards acts within European underground heavy and certainly among the top exports of Greece’s ever-admirable crop of bands that there will be those unable to follow them on this new path, if indeed that’s what IV represents over the longer term. Does that matter? Probably not to the band, who will see new heads at shows to replace those dropped out precisely as a result of these changes and the more accessible nature of their songwriting as it is here. They should, if they haven’t, find a venue in which to present IV in its entirety live with all the according instrumental shifts to carry them to the acoustic, semi-twanging roll of the epilogue closer “Shape of the Evening,” but however IV comes to stand in their catalog in the context of what they might do next, the fact remains that in listening, it feels like exactly what Naxatras want it to be.
And for a group of musicians to not only take that new path but to bring their intention to life with such an accomplishment of craft is a staggering achievement. It may be since Sweden’s Witchcraft modernized their once-vintage-style sound that a band has so readily charted a way forward from the trappings of microgenre, and whatever else IV does for Naxatras over the next few years — whatever their next conversation might lead to — their uncompromised vision has made them a less predictable unit with a scope beyond what was known from them before. That would be enough to call the record a triumph, even if the songs weren’t also so richly executed as they fortunately are.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 23rd, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Wit a lineup that brooks no argument, Riffolution Festival 2022 is set for mid-September in Sheffield, UK. Note the likes of Truckfighters (whose Spring tour dates are waiting on rescheduling) and Godflesh up at the top, and a broad spectrum of subsequent heavies, from Spaceslug, Slomatics and Boss Keloid the first day to Raging Speedhorn, Slabdragger and Mastiff the second. All told it’s 37 bands on three stages — which says to me the schedule is going to be tight, but doable — over the two days, and jeez, if you happen to find yourself in South Yorkshire early this Fall, one is hard-pressed to think of heavier way to spend that time. Hell, Stubb are playing. And King Witch. Right on
This is a lineup where bands will know each other, be familiar, be friendly, be drinking. You should go, join the party. And by you I mean me. Get out into the world again. It’s time, right?
As seen on the internet:
Riffolution Festival 2022 Lineup
Riffolution Festival 2022 full line-up is here, feast your eyes on our biggest event to date!
37 bands over 3 stages, at our new venue Network in Sheffield.
Big thanks to Scarlet Dagger Design for the amazing work on the poster.
Weekend + day tickets, as well as t-shirt bundles are available through the Riffolution Promotions website, and they’re already flying out.
If you wish to play next years show, we’re happy to listen to suggestions. Submit your details on the website or even show your support by grabbing a ticket and attending.
SATURDAY: Truckfighters / Naxatras / Spaceslug / Witchrider / Ten Foot Wizard / Swedish Death Candy / AWOOGA / Slomatics / Boss Keloid / KING WITCH / Dystopian Future Movies / Hair of the Dog / Mountain Caller / Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight / Stubb / Psychlona / Suns of Thunder / The Lunar Effect / Elder Druid / Regulus
SUNDAY: GODFLESH / Raging Speedhorn / God Damn / Palm Reader / Svalbard / blanket / Slabdragger / Mastiff / Dog Tired / PIST / GURT / VIDEO NASTIES / Grave Lines / BEGGAR / Battalions / Gozer / Gandalf the Green
Posted in Radio on November 26th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
I had two ideas in my head for this episode. The first was to do a stuff-to-look-forward-to-next-year playlist, which I did, and the second was to do a me-spending-your-money-on-Black-Friday-Bandcamp-recommendations edition, which I did not do.
Was it the right choice? I don’t know, but it kind of feels like a victory for the good guys every time I get to play All Souls, or King Buffalo, or Sasquatch — or Gozu, or Conan, Stöner, Colour Haze, etc. — and there’s some small chance anybody will hear it, so I won’t exactly say I regret going the way I did. There will be other Bandcamp Fridays, I think.
And to be perfectly honest, I like thinking about this stuff, about new records coming out. I like to wonder what bands will come up with, song-wise, sound-wise, how things will have changed since their last record, how the identity of a group can shift over time. Think of High on Fire. Think of Dozer! A new Dozer album after 14 years. Who the hell knows what that’s going to sound like?
So yeah, that’s what I went with. And since preorder is up for some of this stuff — 40 Watt Sun, the PostWax series of which Dozer are a part, Naxatras, Messa, Earthless — I guess maybe you could spend some money anyway here. Plus there’s always older records to buy. It’s a big planet. There are a lot of albums on it.
Thanks for listening if you do and/or reading. I hope you enjoy.
The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.
Full playlist:
The Obelisk Show – 11.26.21
Dozer
The Flood
Beyond Colossal (2008)
Some Pills for Ayala
Space Octopus
Space Octopus (2021)
Gozu
They Probably Know Karate
Equilibrium (2018)
Wo Fat
There’s Something Sinister in the Wind
Midnight Cometh (2016)
VT
Sasquatch
Destroyer
Maneuvers (2017)
Earthless
Electric Flame
Black Heaven (2018)
Stöner
The Older Kids
Stoners Rule (2021)
Långfinger
Silver Blaze
Crossyears (2016)
King Buffalo
The Knocks
The Burden of Restlessness (2021)
Torche
Times Missing
Admission (2019)
All Souls
Winds
Songs for the End of the World (2020)
Conan
Volt Thrower
Existential Void Guardian (2018)
High on Fire
Freebooter
Electric Messiah (2018)
Messa
Leah
Feast for Water (2018)
40 Watt Sun
The Spaces in Between
Perfect Light (2022)
VT
Colour Haze
Life
We Are (2020)
Naxatras
Land of Infinite Time
III (2018)
The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is Dec. 10 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 26th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Preorders go live today for Naxatras‘ new album, IV, ahead of its Feb. 25 release date. In accordance with that, there comes the first streaming single from the record, titled “Journey to Narahmon,” which throughout its space-rocking six minutes serves to highlight some — not all, but some — of the sonic shifts the formerly jam-based Greek outfit have undertaken in sound, building more traditionally structured songs out of those jam rather than offering up the jams themselves. It’s three months from yesterday until the record comes out, so I’m not going to go on and on about it — I’ll review in good time — but Naxatras are right to give their audience a chance to get on board with where they’re at as soon as possible, let alone reach new ears as they inevitably will throughout 2022.
The recently announced tour is conspicuously lacking in festival appearances, but don’t be surprised when those start showing up too throughout Summer and Fall, conditions permitting.
Tour dates with Puta Volcano: 31.03. – Sofia (BG), “Mixtape 5” 01.04. – Novi Sad (RS), SKCNS Fabrika 02.04. – Budapest (HU), Akvárium Klub Official 03.04. – Zagreb (HR), Klub Močvara 05.04. – Vienna (AT), ((szene)) Wien 06.04. – Linz (AT), Stwst Stadtwerkstatt 08.04. – Munich (DE), Feierwerk 09.04. – Jena (DE), KuBa 13.04. – Stockholm (SE), Hus 7 15.04. – Copenhagen (DK), VEGA 17.04. – Hamburg (DE), Knust Hamburg 18.04. – Dresden (DE), Chemiefabrik Dresden (Chemo) 20.04. – Berlin (DE), Bi Nuu 21.04. – Dortmund (DE), JunkYard 23.04. – Rotterdam (NL), Podium Grounds 24.04. – Paris (FR), La Maroquinerie 26.04. – Marseille (FR), Le Molotov 27.04. – San Sebastian (ES), Dabadaba 28.04. – Madrid (ES), SALA CARACOL MADRID 29.04. – Barcelona (ES), Sala Upload Barcelona 30.04. – Porto (PT), Hard Club + more to be announced!
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 22nd, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Let the record show that the first thing I said about Naxatras‘ upcoming album, IV, was that the Greek now-four-piece were ‘going all in.’ The last thing I said about it was I expected copious tour dates to follow in good time. That was last week and, well, the proof is in the poster. Naxatras have never been particularly shy about hitting the road, but as they announce this long round of gigs alongside Puta Volcano, the band seem to be setting themselves up for a big response to the impending full-length, and I think they’re going to get it. More than anything, I’m curious if a US debut won’t be far behind. Psycho Las Vegas, maybe? That’d be just fine, thank you very much. Hell, they can bring Puta Volcano along for that too.
Sound of Liberation booked the run, and the band posted it as you see here, plus a few emojis:
Naxatras European Tour 2022
It feels so great to finally announce our next European Tour, it’s beyond words!
After more than two years since we played our last gig abroad, we can hardly describe how much we’ve missed you people.
Can’t wait to get back on stage and share moments of pure magic with all of you, see you on the road!
We are happy to share this experience with our friends Puta Volcano, who will be our special guests in every show of the tour!
Original artwork and design by CHRIS RW
Final layout by John Kontan
Thank you Sound of Liberation, for booking this.
31.03. – Sofia (BG), “Mixtape 5” 01.04. – Novi Sad (RS), SKCNS Fabrika 02.04. – Budapest (HU), Akvárium Klub Official 03.04. – Zagreb (HR), Klub Močvara 05.04. – Vienna (AT), ((szene)) Wien 06.04. – Linz (AT), Stwst Stadtwerkstatt 08.04. – Munich (DE), Feierwerk 09.04. – Jena (DE), KuBa 13.04. – Stockholm (SE), Hus 7 15.04. – Copenhagen (DK), VEGA 17.04. – Hamburg (DE), Knust Hamburg 18.04. – Dresden (DE), Chemiefabrik Dresden (Chemo) 20.04. – Berlin (DE), Bi Nuu 21.04. – Dortmund (DE), JunkYard 23.04. – Rotterdam (NL), Podium Grounds 24.04. – Paris (FR), La Maroquinerie 26.04. – Marseille (FR), Le Molotov 27.04. – San Sebastian (ES), Dabadaba 28.04. – Madrid (ES), SALA CARACOL MADRID 29.04. – Barcelona (ES), Sala Upload Barcelona 30.04. – Porto (PT), Hard Club + more to be announced!
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 15th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Naxatras are going all in. After nearly five years on the road and one-plus very much not, the Greek heavy psychedelic rock four-piece are set to release IV on Feb. 25, 2022. Immediately, the former-instrumentalists’ work earns a place among the most anticipated offerings of next year. After actually hearing the thing in question, it sounds like the band are positioning themselves to stand as one of Europe’s foremost acts in psychedelia and prog.
Longtime fans are going to be surprised at how song-oriented it is, but at least after my initial time through, IV also comes across as maintaining the exploratory roots of the band, both in its more seemingly-off-the-cuff moments and in its overarching ethic of trying something new. Some of those who’ve followed Naxatras are going to have trouble making the leap. It is a surprise to hear John Delias singing a verse on “The Answer,” or even to hear the instrumental space rock in the teaser at the bottom of this post, but with a full-time keyboardist/synthesist now in the group, change is afoot all the way around, and the impression I get from how well they actually pull off their significant ambitions is there are going to be more who come aboard that jump ship. Naxatras are moving forward, boldly.
The PR wire has the initial album details. One expects copious tour dates to follow in good time.
For now:
Greek prog-psych quartet Naxatras announce new album, IV
To be released 25th February Pre-save the first single, ‘Journey to Narahmon’, now
It’s been almost a decade now since Naxatras first set out from the Greek north to carve out the path fate had set for them.
Since 2012, the group have been honing the rough edges of psychedelic rock, combining heavy riffs, heady soundscapes, astral melodies and a deep appreciation for groove.
Naxatras now return, with their long-awaited and highly-anticipated new LP, IV, to be released 25th February. The band have today revealed the tracklisting and awe-inspiring cover art, and given notice that the first single from the record, ‘Journey to Narahmon’ will be released 26th November.
IV is – fittingly – the first new music to showcase Naxatras as a quartet. It is a significant departure for the group, already celebrated across Europe for their jamming-based approach to psychedelia. The focus with IV is now more directly on songwriting, musicianship and composition – drawing magic from early 70s prog rock and master songwriters of esoterica.
The new album has gaps that only a keyboard can fill, so Naxatras welcome a new member to the clan: Pantelis Kargas. The whole operation of the band has changed – the previously trademark analogue sound has shifted to a more surgically precise approach, the orchestration multileveled and powerful.
IV is the band at their creative peak, with all their experience put to use, and you can hear the first glimpse of the record on 26th November with the exquisite ‘Journey to Narahmon’. An expansive, mesmerising six-minute journey, with nods to Pink Floyd, Elder, Steven Wilson, the new track’s wordless vocalisations demonstrate the power of Naxatras at its fullest.
Naxatras’ musical imprint began in 2015, with their first album I. Recorded in a single day, the record was a best-selling underground sensation and welcomed with critical acclaim.
Shortly after the band went on their first tour, with live shows in Greece and five neighbouring Balkan countries. The second album – II – followed in 2016, with the same attitude in live performance, live recording, and fully analogue mentality.
However the road proved to be the band’s calling – summer 2016 led to Naxatras’ first full European tour, sowing the seeds of high anticipation.
An established act with the release of III, 40 more European dates followed, with a firm fanbase in every city on the continent. The album release show in Athens was to more than 1,000 devotees, a sold-out spectacle, and the subsequent tours included performances at Desertfest, Rock Im Waid, Dunajam, and a series of appearances in Australia.
TRACKLISTING: 1: Reflection (Birth) 2: Omega Madness 3: Journey To Narahmon 4: The Answer 5: Ride With Time 6: Radiant Stars 7: Horizon 8: The Battle of Crystal Fields 9: Reflection (Death & Rebirth) 10: Shape of the Evening
Naxatras are: John Delias – Guitar, Vocals John Vagenas – Bass, Vocals Kostas Charizanis – Drums and Percussion Pantelis Kargas – Keyboards and Synthesizers
Posted in Questionnaire on March 16th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: John Vagenas of Naxatras & Ni Moya
—
How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I am an artist, musician mainly but I have also worked in films, which was what I studied. Since an early age I deeply loved music and as a teenager I started playing music as well. My first serious contact was a school band formed by our biology teacher (who was a metalhead), in which I ended up playing bass, because there already were too many guitar players! Soon I started playing in bands, where we wrote our own stuff along with covers. During my first year at Film School I met our guitarist John Delias and we decided to jam and later form the band that became Naxatras, along our drummer Kostas Harizanis. From the first moment we knew this was something special, nine years later and we are still going. In my free time I am making electronic music as Ni Moya, under which I released my debut album in 2020.
Describe your first musical memory.
I have musical memories even from the time I was an infant, my sister was playing the piano and she was listening to bands like Nirvana too. I think this influenced me, I wanted to be like the long-haired cool friends of my sister. But my first major musical memory was the first time I watched Iron Maiden live with my father, it was a mind blowing experience that shaped me at the time.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
This is hard! Obviously there are many… Gig-wise I think it was when I watched Roger Water’s The Wall live in Athens, it was very emotional. I had a very beautiful experience at Ozora festival too, during an Ott set, I felt love for my friends, my family, myself, the world. There are many occasions of intense connection with people at concerts with the band, these moments are really hard to describe, but it’s very real and transcendental.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I think it was when I experienced loss, once with my grandma’s passing and once when during a break-up, it’s in times like these where even if you are a positive, optimistic person, you feel that your previously solid ideas for the world and its meaning are not as strong and that life might indeed be devoid of meaning, negativity gets hold. But after you go through this, you are somehow fuller and you have a deeper understanding.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Well, it depends. On a personal level, the more you master your art, the easier you’ll be able to create beautiful, unique things. You play with form until you hit some “sweet spots” that have a structure, a function and a meaning. If you mean the world, then I guess art is becoming more interactive, hopefully we will see new forms of art, that combine virtual reality, music, storytelling and who knows what else.
How do you define success?
Success is fulfilling what you set out to fulfil. For me it is creating things that I enjoy and that other people might enjoy as well. Even if just one person digs what I do, it’s success because it’s better than nothing!
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Gross stuff mostly!
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I would like to create an experience, where people would be able to enter a space specially designed to generate a unique feeling. Imagine an installation involving lights, projectors and props that combined with music from surround speakers, live or pre-recorded, will transfer people to a special place.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Art is here make us feel love, to make us remember things we seem to forget in our everyday life and then get back in life with more honesty, happiness and energy.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to the summer, just travelling around (hopefully, after all this time), sleeping on the beach and generally feel freedom again. And, of course, I’m looking forward to this whole pandemic thing ending, so we can have our concerts, our bars and our lives back!