I’ve decided to in the next couple weeks make it a point to revisit some of 2020’s many releases that, due largely to the chaos surrounding general existence at the time, I didn’t get to cover as much as I wanted. File Villagers of Ioannina City‘s Age of Aquarius in that category. Released first by the band in 2019 and then by Napalm Records in 2020, I’ve never really had that nagging feeling in my head stop about the need to give it a proper review, so now — or at least some time in the next couple weeks — seems to be as good a time as any for that and assorted others in that particular reach of my skull.

As regards Villagers of Ioannina City‘s upcoming tour, you’ll no doubt note both the quantity and the quality of the dates. A slew of festivals including Desertfest Berlin and a return to Freak Valley, Hellfest and a stretch alongside DVNE, when any single one of them would be enough to base a stint of gigs around. For a band who’ve been twiddling their collective thumbs not getting to support the best album of their career as they should, I’d be willing to speculate they’re relieved to finally announce these shows.

Sound of Liberation posted the following:

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY – TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT

Friends, we’re extremely happy to share that Greek psychedelic-folk-rockers Villagers of Ioannina City will hit the road in less than a month.

And pay close attention, in some cities no other than Edinburgh’s hottest progressive rock/metal act DVNE will open the night for you.

Sound of Liberation proudly presents:

Villagers Of Ioannina City + special guests DVNE
European Tour 2022

14.05.22 (GR) Thessaloniki, Principal Club Theater
20.05.22 (BG) Sofia, “Mixtape 5”
21.05.22 (HR) Zagreb, Vintage Industrial Bar
22.05.22 (AT) Salzburg, Rockhouse Salzburg
25.05.22 (DE) Wiesbaden, Schlachthof Wiesbaden
27.05.22 (DE) Berlin, Desertfest Berlin
28.05.22 (DE) Jena, KuBa Open Air*
29.05.22 (PL) Krakow, Klub Zaścianek*
30.05.22 (AT) Vienna, ARENA WIEN *
02.06.22 (DE) Bielefeld, Forum Bielefeld*
03.06.22 (DE) Rotterdam, Podium Grounds*
04.06.22 (DE) Gelsenkirchen, Rock Hard Festival
06.06.22 (NL) Amsterdam, Melkweg Amsterdam*
08.06.22 (DE) Hamburg, Knust Hamburg*
09.06.22 (DE) Dresden, Beatpol*
10.06.22 (DE) Munich, 17 years Sound of Liberation • Backstage Munich*
11.06.22 (DE) Kassel, Goldgrube Kassel*
13.06.22 (GR) Athens, AthensRocks
15.06.22 (DE) Nephten, FREAK VALLEY FESTIVAL
16.06.22 (DE) Zurich, Rote Fabrik
21.06.22 (FR) Paris, GLAZART
23.06.22 (UK) London, 229
25.06.22 (FR) Clisson, Hellfest Open Air Festival
+ more to be announced

*with DVNE

Better grab your tickets fast!

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY are:
Alex (guitar/vox)
Akis (bass)
Aris (drums)
Kostantis (clarinet, winds)
Kostas (bagpipe)

https://www.facebook.com/villagersofioanninacity/
https://www.instagram.com/villagersofioanninacity
https://vicband.bandcamp.com/

www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

Villagers of Ioannina City, Age of Aquarius (2019)

Greek heavy psych rockers Villagers of Ioannina City had a pretty busy 2019 and it’s looking like they’re going to have a busy 2020 as well. Having put out their latest album, Age of Aquarius, on their own last Fall, the band subsequently inked deals with Sound of Liberation for booking and Napalm Records for label-ing (?) and has already begun showing signs of next-levelry to match the progressive intentions of the record itself. As the Greek scene gains long-since-deserved broader recognition across Europe’s underground, the folk-laden style of Villagers of Ioannina City seems to put a positive face on what’s happening in a sonically diverse and still-booming sphere.

And as the faces of the “innocents” featured in the band’s new video for “For the Innocent” from Age of Aquarius begin to flash and meld and come together and all the eyes seem to become one, the message is not lost, even as the camera speeds through a tunnel amid silhouettes of the group themselves, didgeridoo and all. The song itself gives some indication of the scope of the record as a whole, without necessarily spoiling the linear entirety for anyone who has yet to take it on — and if not, go right ahead, it’s streaming in full and has been for months now — but as they get introduced to new audiences via Napalm‘s broader distribution and promotional reach, “For the Innocent” certainly offers a welcome sampling of what Age of Aquarius is all about.

They’ve already announced a Spring tour to coincide with the April 3 arrival of the physical pressing, and they’ll make a stop at the pre-show for Desertfest Berlin as a part of that. I would only expect more to come as we move through the Summer and Fall. Villagers of Ioannina City are stepping up in a big way, and accordingly, it’s going to be a busy year.

Enjoy the video. Credits and tour dates follow:

Villagers of Ioannina City, “For the Innocent” official video

Pre-order “Age of Aquarius” here: https://smarturl.it/AgeOfAquarius-NPR

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY on “For the Innocent”:
“We are really really happy to present to you our new video clip! Dedicated to all the dreamers, the deviants, the immigrants of life and the wanderers of mind! To all the innocent ones!”

Concept:
Villagers of Ioannina City, Stathis Mitsios

Director, Editor:
Stathis Mitsios

Video Shootings:
Stathis Mitsios, Zissis Tsoumpos, Eleftheria Kalpenidou, Yorgos Dellis, Spiros Andromaneskos , Dimitris Zarkadas

Photo Shooting:
Eleftheria Kalpenidou

Assistants:
Georgia Nikoletou, George Asteris, Mitsaki Racoon, Thomas Papathomas, Rosemary Kourouni, Despoina Gazi, Lefteris Mitsios, Magda Togkouri

Starring:
All the innocents

Recorded by Asteris Partalios at Magnanimous Studio, Thessaloniki, GR
Mixed by Keith Armstrong at Pietown Sound, Los Angeles, CA
Mastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound, Nashville TN

Listen on Spotify and all digital platforms here: https://orcd.co/vic_ageofaquarius

AGE OF AQUARIUS | SPRING TOUR 2020
02/4 – Bucharest (RO) – Quantic
03/4 – Cluj Napoca (RO) – FORM Space
05/4 – Krakow (PL) – Klub Za?cianek
07/4 – Warsaw (PL) – Klub Hydrozagadka
08/4 – Poznan (PL) – Klub u Bazyla
09/4 – Dresden (DE) – Beatpol
11/4 – Jena (DE) – Kulturbahnhof Jena
15/4 – Paris (FR) – GLAZART
16/4 – Aachen (DE) – Musikbunker Aachen
18/4 – Rotterdam (NL) – Podium Grounds
22/4 – London (UK) – The Dome, Tufnell Park
23/4 – Manchester (UK) – Night People & The Twisted Wheel Club
25/4 – Nantes (FR) – La Scène Michelet
29/4 – Hamburg (DE) – Knust Hamburg
30/4 – Berlin (DE) – Lido Berlin
01/5 – Wiesbaden (DE) – Schlachthof Wiesbaden
02/5 – Munich (DE) – Feierwerk
03/5 – Zurich (CH) – Rote Fabrik
05/5 – Zagreb (HR) – Klub Mo?vara
07/5 – Vienna (AT) – ARENA WIEN
09/5 – Novi Sad (RS) – Ritam Evrope
10/5 – SOFIA (BG) – “Mixtape 5”

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY are:
Alex (guitar/vox)
Akis (bass)
Aris (drums)
Kostantis (clarinet, winds)
Kostas (bagpipe)

Villagers of Ionnina City, Age of Aquarius (2019)

Villagers of Ioannina City on Thee Facebooks

Villagers of Ioannina City on Instagram

Villagers of Ioannina City on Bandcamp

Napalm Records website