Posted in Reviews on March 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
It’s almost as if Naxatras‘ V is reassuring the listener as it goes. The Greek four-piece offer a supporting hand through ground familiar and not as their seemingly ongoing evolution continues to flower, building outward in prog-psych fractals from the vivid declaration of 2022’s IV (review here) and bringing rare grace of flow across a collection of eight songs that appear to have been kept willfully brief compared to some of Naxatras‘ past work — they’ve always had longer and shorter tracks, and with all its songs on at about five-to-six minutes, V feels directed in the contrast — and that specifically carries over in a live feel.
With bright light overarching and periodic dives into dub and reggae-tinged jamming, krautrock and dream-synth serenity, Naxatras are grounded at the center of an expansive style, and no doubt part of the credit for that is owed to drummer/percussionist Kostas Charizanis, who from deep in the mix of opener “Celestial Gaze” underscores the sense of purpose in the band’s execution. Experimentation has been part of Naxatras‘ modus since their now-decade-old self-titled debut (discussed here), but that doesn’t come across necessarily in wacky arrangements or goofy vocalizing. The songwriting is the experiment, and where IV introduced keyboardist/synthesist Pantelis Kargas to the fold with Charizanis, bassist/vocalist John Vagenas and guitarist/vocalist John Delias, across the 42-minute span of V, Kargas‘ is all the more integrated and all the more crucial to the Mediterranean-style, maybe-that’s-an-actual-flute-hanging-out-with-that-guitar-solo build of “Spacekeeper,” an instrumental following the shimmering, vocalized leadoff that’s brought to a dramatic conclusion but and seems keen to remind the band’s listenership that this kind of thing — sans-voice prog-psych at its root, but Naxatras‘ interpretation — is still a part of who they are.
They’re not hand-holding, exactly — later on in the record, “Legion” hints at new wave; I don’t want to give the impression that Naxatras aren’t taking risks in their sound — but the way they’re doing it is calm even at its loudest, and as “Numenia” sets itself to a bit of bounce to remind that every now and then they like to get a little funky, as immersive as the first two songs have been, the dual-vocal verses describing crystal towers and impressions of a goddess’ garden are a purposeful contrast, but as fluid as “Numenia” gets with that returning flute and its hand percussion, maybe light Tuareg influence, and the undercurrent of prog pulling it all together, the focus with V is clearly on live energy in the performance and communion with their audience in the craft. Naxatras push “Numenia” to an outward heaviness not yet shown on the record, so as side A’s vocal/instrumental back and forth rounds out with the hypnotic, ultra smooth, barely-there-at-first underwater jam “Utopian Structures” — I can’t help but feel like the keyboard there sounds a little like Beverly Hills Cop, but that’s not necessarily a negative — the sense of intent in everything the band have done up to that point is underscored. Not only have Naxatras become a band capable of making a record like this, but they’ve done it with the specific will to bring their listeners with them.
Underneath it all is confidence. As dug in as they are, Naxatras don’t come across as pretentious on the record, but nothing here is an accident. These songs were worked on. Their arrangment carries meaning. You can hear how they came together in the finished product, the way “Breathing Fire” gives a sense of movement at the start of the second half of the LP with the guitar and keys echoing back to “Spacekeeper” while the vocals set themselves over a more terrestrially-toned riff before we’re all whisked away to another world — or at least someplace as hot as I understand Greece to be in the summer — before a slowdown basks in the vocal melody with effectively moody toms and crashes behind, dramatic and culturally informed, but organic above all. “Breathing Fire” gives over to “Legion,” which holds to the sense of rhythmic movement and opens into its verse with hints both of Gary Numan and Greek folk, the mood somewhat darker initially than, say, “Spacekeeper,” but not out of line by any means. The second half of the song is as close to a freakout as they come, but it’s momentary and they take the energy and immediately redirect it to a vocal chant that moves into a string-laced fadeout ending.
At 4:51, “Legion” is the shortest piece on V and it pairs with “Sand Halo,” the longest at 6:02, and as has been the case all along, the choice was purposeful. There are vocals, but the way “Sand Halo” uses repetition makes it feel all the more entrancing, and so it has the spirit of something jammier without entirely giving up notions of structure. This becomes doubly fortunate as a more weighted crescendo mirrors that of “Numenia” on side A before residual drone leads the way into the cymbals and far-off howls of synth at the outset of “The Citadel,” its first guitar notes stark against such a backdrop. The closer rises from that somewhat minimal beginning into a midsection of My Sleeping Karma-esque meditative heavy, overarching notes of chime sounds standing out from the denser shove, which they ride until giving over to silence and an epilogue of piano, foreboding but still warm at the end as the whole album has been.
That too is part of what feels reassuring about V — how much Naxatras remain identifiably themselves as they again revise what that means — but also the sureness of the craft. The sense that there’s a reason behind every choice that’s been made in music, production, the Chris RW art on the front cover and everything else around the release. More than ever, the stage feels like the focus. If Naxatras got on stage and played V front-to-back with that piano playing as they took their leave, it would seem to be what the record was written for. It is a direct communication from the band to their audience, and reconfirms Naxatras among Europe’s most forward-thinking heavy psychedelic purveyors.
Greek atmospheric heavymakers Church of the Sea will release their second full-length, Eva, on April 11 through These Hands Melt. Like their 2022 debut, Odalisque (review here), the seven-song/30-minute new outing is expansive in sound and finds the three-piece of vocalist Irene, guitarist Vangelis and synthesist Alex running deep textural threads through material that’s heavy whether it grows from cinematic foreboding to reveal itself as the monster eating you — as several tracks here do; looking at you, “Widow,” “Garden of Eden,” “Churchyard,” all of which are much louder by the finish than at the start — or is quieter and more brooding. Atmosphere is a central purpose; mood too.
And even if some of the structural paths are similar, as noted above, the sounds that come and go in the arrangements of keys, guitar, sundry electronic beats and other noises give life and variety to the methodical tempos and progressions behind Irene‘s breathy delivery, well suited to the echo treatment it gets in “Churchyard” or “The Siren’s Choice,” which unfolds after the table-setting intro “How to Build a Universe Pt. I” — to be sure, “Pt. II” bookends at the finish — with a treat of distorted guitar and a spacious sound that dares poppish keys in the second half at the same time as a semi-industrial slog is happening behind and Irene‘s voice is carrying the still-melancholic apex of the song. It ends up being a powerful moment if you let it be, and for being not without its element of challenge for all the melody and not-aggro presence, in terms of how the listener hears it, Eva is as much about the ambient drones and experimental flourishes as the solidity of the structures holding them up. Even the smallest-seeming piece of the thing can take you somewhere.
As regards the title-track, for which a video is premiering below, it took me specifically to “The Mirror” by SubRosa, more specifically the drumstick-on-mic-stand-for-percussion version found on their Subdued live album. Far back in “Eva” there’s a tock keeping time and it adds a folkishness alongside the guitar line that put me right there, and that’s not a complaint. Church of the Sea are coming from someplace else in terms of style, to be sure, and the build in “Eva” grows into more of a march in the song’s second half as that initial guitar line is swallowed by a current of distortion drone. The subsequent “Widow” feels more industrial at the start, with a darker rough hum and purposefully contrasting sweet vocal overtop, somehow mourning… I don’t know… everything?, but creating the space that the blinding guitar comes to occupy later effectively, and finding a way to bring hope to Eva without departing entirely the atmosphere or modus laid out up to that point.
“Widow” is where the A side ends on the vinly edition of Eva, and that makes sense as “Garden of Eden” fades in with bright guitar, far back drumming and an almost brazenly rocking feel. Sure enough, heavier guitar kicks in Jesu-style after about a minute with a nodder riff to accompany the hook. It recedes again for the next verse and it seems like the back and forth will be the crux of it, but the second half is a departure elsewhere that turns out no less satisfying, and before “How to Build a Universe Pt. 2” answers back to the intro to round out, “Churchyard” reminds of late era Author and Punisher by the time it’s done but at the start feels more like it’s drawing from Twin Peaks than post-apocalyptic sci-fi. Or at very least, can’t it be both? Sure can on “How to Build a Universe Pt. 2.” Perhaps more to the point, Church of the Sea speak to both these sides fluidly, organically, and efficiently, and that’s before you get to the biblical theme of the lyrics drawing the songs together.
Though it’s the first single from the album, don’t expect “Eva” to represent everything going on with the LP that shares its name, and do go into it with an open mind. As always, I hope you enjoy.
Greek doomgaze trio Church of the Sea have unveiled the title track of their upcoming album “Eva”, which will be released on 11 April 2025 via These Hands Melt.
“Eva” reimagines the biblical story of Eve, challenging the traditional narrative and celebrating her defiance. The band explains, “Eva” is a twist in the story from the Book of Genesis, where the female is not seen as the sinner for seeking knowledge, but as the rebel that embraces what others consider ‘forbidden’”.
Regarding the music video, Church of the Sea added: “The video is a further juxtaposition between the forbidden and what is established as righteous and ideal. The creations of man that abuse nature, in contrast with the animalistic instincts in all of us, fighting to break free.”
For the recording of “Eva” the band returned to Suono Studios, while Alex Bolpasis was responsible for the engineering, production and mixing. The album was mastered by Nick Townsend at Infrasonic Mastering.
Tracklisting: 1. How to Build a Universe Pt. 1 2. The Siren’s Choice 3. Eva 4. Widow 5. Garden of Eden 6. Churchyard 7. How to Build a Universe Pt. 2
Church of the Sea are: Irene – Vocals Vangelis – Guitars Alex – Synths and samples
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 20th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I took today off for good reason: because after spending four full writing days hacking away at the Best of 2024 year-end coverage, my brain is even more goo than usual and could stand the day to recover (even though the truth is I was writing for much of yesterday afternoon). Then Naxatras come along and wake me from my Cave-Trollian slumber with the sassy-pants ending on the sprawling lead single “Spacekeeper” from their new album V — it’s followed consecutively by the sweet-ass flute funk of “Numenia” and the harder-distorted cosmic riffing of “Utopian Structures,” so, you know, the record goes places — and, by simple virtue of their kickass nature, consigning me once again to Clacky-Clacky Keyboard Time.
However, some vague, immeasurable sliver of one’s attempt at preserving wellbeing is a small price to pay for the bliss Naxatras have on offer with V. The four-piece are pretty fresh in mind, having last month posted a killer full-set live video recorded earlier this year in Hungary, perhaps in part to stir followers ahead of this announcement. In any case, I’ve heard the record, and whether you dig the synth-driven progressive lean of 2022’s IV (review here) or the jammier spirit presented in their earlier work, the answer for V is a big yes. Never quite still, Naxatras explore and entrance like no one else, and so their material is as expansive as it is immersive. Open world, in the parlance of the age. Colorful. Bursting with light by the time you get to the meditative “Legion.”
Look out for “Breathing Fire” when that one hits too. I already put in a request to stream the album Feb. 27. I’ll let you know how that goes. It’s out Feb. 28, as the PR wire tells it:
Greek psychedelic rockers NAXATRAS share first track off upcoming new album “V”, out February 28th on Evening Star Records.
Greek psychedelic rock powerhouse NAXATRAS announce the release of their anticipated fifth studio album “V” on February 28th, and unveil the hypnotic cosmos-coveting new single “Spacekeeper” on all streaming platforms today.
Naxatras has spent over a decade forging a distinctive presence in the hard psych scene. With four critically acclaimed albums under their belt, they have evolved from a predominantly jam-oriented band into one that balances spontaneity with deliberate craftsmanship. This transformation is the natural result of years of touring, artistic exploration, and a steadfast commitment to their unique sound.
In the band’s ever-present mindset of constant experimentation and evolution as a creative process, bits and pieces of ideas and patterns were brewing, waiting for the right time to surface. Now, those fragments have come to life, enriched by the band’s matured approach to songwriting. With a line-up that includes a keyboardist and an expanded percussion arsenal, Naxatras has embraced a multi-layered production, blending their analog warmth with a newfound clarity and complexity.
Their new album “V” represents a bold leap forward. The ingredients of the Naxatras sound have been multiplied and their influences broadened, incorporating not just the classic touchstones of 70s progressive rock but also world music and electronic elements, delivering songs that are both tightly constructed and daringly expansive. “V” balances the direct and the adventurous, taking listeners on a journey that is as grounded as it is cosmic. Exploring the saga of the world of Narahmon with the introduction of the Spacekeeper as a new chapter in their mythical lore, the album’s concept narrative reflects a band at the height of its creative powers, pushing boundaries while crafting music that resonates deeply.
This is more than an album: it’s a defining moment for Naxatras. With their vast array of influences and years of expertise converging, “V” signals a new chapter, reaffirming their place as one of the most visionary acts in the progressive rock landscape.
NAXATRAS – New album “V” Out February 28th on Evening Star Records (LP/CD/digital)
Posted in Reviews on December 12th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Day four of five for this snuck-in-before-the-end-of-the-year Quarterly Review, and I’m left wondering if maybe it won’t be worth booking another week for January or early February, and if that happens, is it still “quarterly” at that point if you do it like six times a year? ‘Bimonthly Quality Control Assessments’ coming soon! Alert your HR supervisors to tell your servers of any allergies.
No, not really.
I’ll figure out a way to sandwich more music into this site if it kills me. Which I guess it might. Whatever, let’s do this thing.
Quarterly Review #31-40
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Sergeant Thunderhoof, The Ghost of Badon Hill
A marked accomplishment in progressive heavy rock, The Ghost of Badon Hill is the fifth full-length from UK five-piece Sergeant Thunderhoof, who even without the element of surprise on their side — which is to say one is right to approach the 45-minute six-tracker with high expectations based on the band’s past work; their last LP was 2022’s This Sceptred Veil(review here) — rally around a folklore-born concept and deliver the to-date album of their career. From the first emergence of heft in “Badon” topped with Daniel Flitcroft soar-prone vocals, Sergeant Thunderhoof — guitarists Mark Sayer and Josh Gallop, bassist Jim Camp and drummer Darren Ashman, and the aforementioned Flitcroft — confidently execute their vision of a melodic riffprog scope. The songs have nuance and character, the narrative feels like it moves through the material, there are memorable hooks and grand atmospheric passages. It is by its very nature not without some indulgent aspects, but also a near-perfect incarnation of what one might ask it to be.
The stated objective of Swallow the Sun‘s Shining was for less misery, and fair enough as the Finnish death-doomers have been at it for about a quarter of a century now and that’s a long time to feel so resoundingly wretched, however relatably one does it. What does less-misery sound like? First of all, still kinda miserable. If you know Swallow the Sun, they are still definitely recognizable in pieces like “Innocence Was Long Forgotten,” “What I Have Become” and “MelancHoly,” but even the frontloading of these singles — don’t worry, from “Kold” and the ultra Type O Negative-style “November Dust” (get it?), to the combination of floating, dancing keyboard lines and drawn out guitars in the final reaches of the title-track, they’re not short on highlights — conveys the modernity brought into focus. Produced by Dan Lancaster (Bring Me the Horizon, A Day to Remember, Muse), the songs are in conversation with the current sphere of metal in a way that Swallow the Sun have never been, broadening the definition of what they do while retaining a focus on craft. They’re professionals.
Trillion Ton Beryllium Ships, The Mind Like Fire Unbound
Where’s the intermittently-crushing sci-fi-concept death-stoner, you ask? Well, friend, Lincoln, Nebraska’s Trillion Ton Beryllium Ships would like to have a word, and on The Mind Like Fire Unbound, there’s a non-zero chance that word will come in the form of layered death metal growls and rasping throatripper screams representing an insectoid species about to tear more-melodically-voiced human colonizers to pieces. The 45-minute LP’s 14-minute opener “BUGS” that lays out this warning is followed by the harsh, cosmic-paranoia conjuration of “Dark Forest” before a pivot in 8:42 centerpiece “Infinite Inertia” — and yes, the structure of the tracks is purposeful; longest at the open and close with shorter pieces on either side of “Infinite Inertia” — takes the emotive cast of Pallbearer to an extrapolated psychedelic metalgaze, huge and broad and lumbering. Of course the contrast is swift in the two-minute “I Hate Space,” but where one expects more bludgeonry, the shortest inclusion stays clean vocally amid its uptempo, Torche-but-not-really push. Organ joins the march in the closing title-track (14:57), which gallops following its extended intro, doom-crashes to a crawl and returns to double-kick behind the encompassing last solo, rounding out with suitable showcase of breadth and intention.
Planet of Zeus make a striking return with their sixth album, Afterlife, basing their theme around mythologies current and past and accompanying that with a sound that’s both less brash than they were a few years back on 2019’s Faith in Physics (review here) and refined in the sharpness and efficiency of its songwriting. It’s a rocker, which is what one has come to expect from these Athens-based veterans. Afterlife builds momentum through desert-style rockers like “Baptized in His Death” and the hooky “No Ordinary Life” and “The Song You Misunderstand,” getting poppish in the stomp of “Bad Milk” only after the bluesy “Let’s Call it Even” and before the punkier “Letter to a Newborn,” going where it wants and leaving no mystery as to how it’s getting there because it doesn’t need to. One of the foremost Greek outfits of their generation, Planet of Zeus show up, tell you what they’re going to do, then do it and get out, still managing to leave behind some atmospheric resonance in “State of Non-Existence.” There’s audible, continued forward growth and kickass tunes. If that sounds pretty ideal, it is.
Cinematic in its portrayal, Le Premier Soleil de Jan Calet positions itself as cosmically minded, and manifests that in sometimes-minimal — effectively so, since it’s hypnotic — aural spaciousness, but Paris’ Human Teorema veer into Eastern-influenced scales amid their exploratory, otherworldly-on-purpose landscaping, and each planet on which they touch down, from “Onirico” (7:43) to “Studiis” (15:54) and “Spedizione” (23:20) is weirder than the last, shifting between these vast passages and jammier stretches still laced with synth. Each piece has its own procession and dynamic, and perhaps the shifts in intent are most prevalent within “Studiis,” but the closer is, on the balance, a banger as well, and there’s no interruption in flow once you’ve made the initial choice to go with Le Premier Soleil de Jan Calet. An instrumental approach allows Human Teorema to embody descriptive impressions that words couldn’t create, and when they decide to hit it hard, they’re heavy enough for the scale they’ve set. Won’t resonate universally (what does?), but worth meeting on its level.
There are two epics north of the 10-minute mark on Caged Wolves‘ maybe-debut LP, A Deserts Tale: “Lost in the Desert” (11:26) right after the intro “Dusk” and “Chaac” (10:46) right before the hopeful outro “Dawn.” The album runs a densely-packed 48 minutes through eight tracks total, and pieces like the distortion-drone-backed “Call of the Void,” the alt-prog rocking “Eleutheromania,” “Laguna,” which is like earlier Radiohead in that it goes somewhere on a linear build, and the spoken-word-over-noise interlude “The Lost Tale” aren’t exactly wanting for proportion, regardless of runtime. The bassline that opens “Call of the Void” alone would be enough to scatter orcs, but that still pales next to “Chaac,” which pushes further and deeper, topping with atmospheric screams and managing nonetheless to come out of the other side of that harsh payoff of some of the album’s most weighted slog in order to bookend and give the song the finish it deserves, completing it where many wouldn’t have been so thoughtful. This impression is writ large throughout and stands among the clearest cases for A Deserts Tale as the beginning of a longer-term development.
I find myself wanting to talk about how big Liminal Escapism sounds, but I don’t mean in terms of tonal proportion so much as the distances that seem to be encompassed by Greek progressive instrumentalists Anomalos Kosmos. With an influence from Grails and, let’s say, 50 years’ worth of prog rock composition (but definitely honoring the earlier end of that timeline), Anomalos Kosmos offer emotional evocation in pieces that feel compact on either side of six or seven minutes, taking the root jams and building them into structures that still come across as a journey. The classy soloing in “Me Orizeis” and synthy shimmer of “Parapatao,” the rumble beneath the crescendo of “Kitonas” and all of that gosh darn flow in “Flow” speak to a songwriting process that is aware of its audience but feels no need to talk down, musically speaking, to feed notions of accessibility. Instead, the immersion and energetic drumming of “Teledos” and the way closer “Cigu” rallies around pastoral fuzz invite the listener to come along on this apparently lightspeed voyage — thankfully not tempo-wise — and allow room for the person hearing these sounds to cast their own interpretations thereof.
One could not hope to fully encapsulate an impression here of nearly three and a half hours of sometimes-improv psych-drone, and I refuse to feel bad for not trying. Instead, I’ll tell you that Grand Fractal Orchestra — the Psychedelic Source Records 3CD edition of which has already sold out — finds Budapest-based guitarist Ákos Karancz deeply engaged in the unfolding sounds here. Layering effects, collaborating with others from the informal PSR collective like zitherist Márton Havlik or singer Krisztina Benus, and so on, Karancz constructs each piece in a way that feels both steered in a direction and organic to where the music wants to go. “Ore Genesis” gets a little frantic around the middle but finds its chill, “Human Habitat” is duly foreboding, and the two-part, 49-minute-total capper “Transforming Time to Space” is beautiful and meditative, like staring at a fountain with your ears. It goes without saying not everybody has the time or the attention span to sit with a release like this, but if you take it one track at a time for the next four years or so, there’s worlds enough in these songs that they’ll probably just keep sinking in. And if Karancz puts outs like five new albums in that time too, so much the better.
It probably goes without saying — at least it should — that while the classic folk fingerplucking of “Whispering Waters” and the Americana-busy “Laurel Creek Blues” give a sweet introduction to Blake Hornsby‘s A Village of Many Springs, inevitably it’s the 23-minute experimentalist spread of the finale, “Bury My Soul in the Linville River,” that’s going to be a focal point for many listeners, and fair enough. The earthbound-cosmic feel of that piece, its devolution into Lennon-circa-1968 tape noise and concluding drone, aren’t at all without preface. A Village of Many Springs gets weirder as it goes, with the eight-minute “Cathedral Falls” building over its time into a payoff of seemingly on-guitar violence, and the subsequent “O How the Water Flows” nestling into a sweet spot between Appalachian nostalgia and foreboding twang. There’s percussion and manipulation of noise later, too, but even in its repetition, “O How the Water Flows” continues Hornsby‘s trajectory. For what’s apparently an ode to water in the region surrounding Hornsby‘s home in Asheville, North Carolina, that it feels fluid should be no surprise, but by no means does one need to have visited Laurel Creek to appreciate the blues Hornsby conjures for them.
With a sensibility in some of the synth of “Hacamat” born of space rock, Congulus have no trouble moving from that to the 1990s-style alt-rock saunter of “Diri Bir Nefes,” furthering the momentum already on the Istanbul-based instrumentalist trio’s side after opener “İskeletin Düğün Halayı” before “Senin Sırlarının Yenilmez Gücünü Gördüm” spaces out its solo over scales out of Turkish folk and “Park” marries together the divergent chugs of Judas Priest and Meshuggah, there’s plenty of adventure to be had on Göçebe. It’s the band’s second full-length behind 2019’s Bozkır — they’ve had short releases between — and it moves from “Park” into the push of “Zarzaram” and “Vordonisi” with efficiency that’s only deceptive because there’s so much stylistic range, letting “Ulak” have its open sway and still bash away for a moment or two before “Sonunda Ah Çekeriz Derinden” closes by tying space rock, Mediterranean traditionalism and modern boogie together in one last jam before consigning the listener back to the harsher, decidedly less utopian vibes of reality.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on November 26th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I will tell you honestly this live video of Naxatras‘ full set from the Ozora Festival — also stylized O.Z.O.R.A. as an acronym for I don’t know what — this past summer in Dádpuszta, Hungary, isn’t what I was planning on writing about today. I was all set to review something else, an album that’s been hanging over my head for a bit and that I kind of feel obligated toward for various reasons, and along comes a Bandcamp update from the Greek jammers/progressive psychedelic rockers, a clip to check out, and there goes the next 75 minutes of my life. I ended up watching the thing on my laptop while I emptied the dishwasher and made breakfast. Things like that make me feel like I’m exist in an alt-definition of “lifer.”
And I might have gone back to that record — there’s a lot to like about it — but in the spirit of a band following where their creative will leads, here I am with this Naxatras video. It’s pro-shot and the lights are gorgeous, so even if you end up putting it on while you do chores or work or whatever you’re up to, it’ll be worth glancing over at, and the sound is correspondingly fantastic. A live recording that can harness any sense of breadth and be about more than just the spirit of here’s-album-tracks-performed is a thing to treasure, and if Naxatras were to release the audio from this set in some form, I’d be here telling you to listen to it anyway. As it is, the audio/visual impression here does a lot to convey how and why Naxatras have amassed such a reputation on the Euro circuit, rising to the fore of the admirably varied Greek heavy underground alongside current bands like 1000mods and Planet of Zeus.
Bassist and intermittent vocalist John Vagenas — most of the set and the band’s work more broadly is instrumental, but a couple songs have singing on them, including the multi-movement “Ent” from their 2015 self-titled debut (discussed here), which closes — posted the clip with the comment quoted below, and those who take particular note of the part where he says “…shortly before our new music comes out,” will definitely want to check out the video, which features two new songs in succession, with “Space Keeper” and “Utopian Structures” representing their latest batch of tunes, the actual release of which has yet to be announced. So a sneaky preview as a reward for those who’d take the plunge to find it. He says on stage they recorded “about two months ago,” which since Ozora is held at the end of July would’ve been sometime in Spring 2024. I know nothing about when it’ll be out, but if it’s done, that’s certainly an important step along the way.
The chilled-out-but-not-lazy jam is at the heart of what Naxatras — who performed at Ozora as a five-piece, including Vagenas, keyboardist Pantelis Kargas, guitarist John Delias, drummer Kostas Charizanis and percussionist Dimitris Kavoukidis — do as a band, but as demonstrated on 2022’s IV (review here), the totality of their scope is broader and reaches into different modes of songwriting. I don’t necessarily have an idea what to expect beyond broad strokes for their next album, but after IV, I have high hopes that they’ll continue to move forward as they’ve been doing for the last 10 years. Unless an announcement comes in the next week or so, or they decide to do a fancy, no-advance-promo surprise album drop in the next month (always possible), it’ll likely be 2025 before we find out. Fortunately, that’s still not too far off.
An unexpected pivot brought me here. The resonance of Naxatras turned out to be what I needed, and below, you’ll find the video in its entirety, shared with the hope that it might also connect with you one way or the other.
Please enjoy:
Naxatras, Live at Ozora Festival 2024
John Vagenas on Ozora Festival:
“It’s no secret that I have a weak spot for Ozora, it is after all a mothership of psychedelic culture as it exists right now in the world. So, I believe this show is really a milestone of our journey as a band until now, the evolution of our sound just shortly before our new music comes out! Stay tuned people, cool things are coming up really soon…”
We’re so happy to share with you our full show at the Dragon Nest stage of Ozora Festival 2024.
Directed and Colored by Ben Kirschenbaum An Eyechant Production Filmed by Daniel Vogman, Shira Houminer, Shaked Gorbatt, Ben Kirschenbaum Edited by Daniel Vogman and Ben Kirschenbaum Recorded by Konstantinos Ragiadakos Mixed and Mastered by World Frequencies
Tracklisting (Courtesy of @PlaylistMaker434) 00:00 On The Silver Line 07:50 Omega Madness 15:05 Journey To Narahmond 21:55 Space Keeper 27:00 Utopian Structures 33:18 Waves 40:35 Garden Of The Senses 49:13 I Am The Beyonder 1:00:35 The Great Attractor 1:07:20 Ent
This video was created to celebrate the human experience, with the utmost respect for the people lensed, we hope this resounds and spreads joy.
Naxatras at Ozora Festival: John Delias – Guitar John Vagenas – Bass & Vocals Kostas Charizanis – Drums Pantelis Kargas – Keyboards Dimitris Kavoukidis – Percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 20th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
With their Fall tour — as opposed to the summer one; yeah, it goes like that — currently ongoing, Greek heavy rockers 1000mods have announced more European undertakings set for early next year. The run begins March 5 at A38 Hajó in Budapest, which I’m excited to see on a list of dates because I went there one time, and carries the band into April as they continue to support their new album, Cheat Death (review here). Note that the new tour has them out with Frenzee, whose Apollonia “Api” Xylouris contributes guest vocals on the record. Some potential for onstage collaboration then, certainly, as the two bands run through a succession of shows in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Portugal.
Lest we forget, 1000mods were in the US in Fall 2023. I haven’t heard anything about a return trip for the new record, but with a North American release through Ripple — the band’s imprint, Ouga Booga and the Mighty Oug (also a booking company), has it for the rest of the world — it’s by no means outside the realm of possibility. Whatever you can do though to see them, they are second to none at what they do.
Sound of Liberation, which is co-presenting the tour, posted the following. Remaining Fall shows are included, new dates underneath. You’ll figure it out:
1000MODS – NEW ALBUM & TOUR DATES
Their brand new album “Cheat Death” just dropped, and they’re bringing it live across Europe! Don’t miss out on these epic shows – check the dates below and catch them in a city near you. Plus, we’re thrilled to have them on stage at SOL SONIC RIDE COLOGNE on 29.03.2025 at Carlswerk Victoria + Club Volta, Cologne (tickets via link in bio). 🔥
Looking for 1000Mods merch and vinyl? Head over to our shop:www.sol-records.com. 🛒
Fall 2024 Tour Dates:
20.11.2024 (FI) Helsinki, Ääniwalli 22.11.2024 (SE) Stockholm, Fuzz Festival 23.11.2024 (SE) Borlänge, Broken Dreams 24.11.2024 (SE) Gothenburg, Hemligheten 25.11.2024 (NO) Oslo, Goldie 26.11.2024 (SE) Malmö, Plan B
Spring 2025 “Cheat Death” Album Release Tour: 05.03.2025 (HU) Budapest, A38 06.03.2025 (AT) Vienna, Arena 07.03.2025 (DE) Lindau, Club Vaudeville 08.03.2025 (CH) Pratteln, Z7 09.03.2025 (CH) Geneva, PTR L’Usine 10.03.2025 (FR) Lyon, Transbordeur Club 12.03.2025 (FR) Toulouse, Metronum 13.03.2025 (FR) Montpellier, Victoire 2 14.03.2025 (ES) Barcelona, Apolo 2 16.03.2025 (ES) Madrid, Nazca 17.03.2025 (PT) Lisbon, RCA Club 18.03.2025 (PT) Porto, Mouco 20.03.2025 (ES) Bilbao, Stage Live 21.03.2025 (FR) Alençon, La Luciole 23.03.2025 (FR) Paris, La Maroquinerie 24.03.2025 (FR) Wasquehal, Black Lab 25.03.2025 (BE) Brussels, La Botanique 26.03.2025 (NL) Amsterdam, Melkweg 27.03.2025 (NL) Nijmegen, Doornroosje 28.03.2025 (NL) Groningen, Vera 30.03.2025 (DE) Cologne, Carlswerk Victoria (SOL Sonic Ride Cologne) 31.03.2025 (DE) Aschaffenburg, Colos Saal 01.04.2025 (DE) Erlangen, E-Werk 02.04.2025 (DE) Munich, Backstage 03.04.2025 (DE) Regensburg, Alte Mälzerei 04.04.2025 (DE) Leipzig, Werk 2 05.04.2025 (DE) Hamburg, Knust 06.04.2025 (DE) Berlin, Columbia Theater
All tickets and info available on the official 1000Mods website:www.1000mods.com/tour. 🎫
Posted in Reviews on November 11th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Greece’s foremost heavy rock export, 1000mods return to work with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, tons more) after collaborating on their 2020 LP, Youth of Dissent (review here, discussed here), for their fifth album, Cheat Death, which collects 10 new tracks across an hour of music issued through the band’s own Ouga Booga and the Mighty Oug Recordings and Ripple Music (in the US). And like Youth of Dissent, the album feels somewhat defiant in its vision of what heavy rock is and can do.
That is to say, where those familiar with 1000mods‘ earlier work might have an expectation of desert style party-isms of the kind that were offered on 2011’s full-length debut, Super Van Vacation (review here; discussed here, also here), with the choice sandy grooves that helped ignite/expose a generational shift in the Greek underground the ramifications of which are still panning out 13 years later, the truth of 1000mods‘ catalog when you listen to it front to back is that they’ve always been a more complex band. Even as they bring Bayles back on board to produce/engineer and mix Cheat Death (Brad Boatright mastered), the band have continued to evolve as they’ve done all along, refusing to stagnate and so — although the title-track lyrically is about love — part of the death being cheated across the album’s not-insignificant timespan is creative stagnation.
1000mods — now the core trio of vocalist/bassist Dani G., guitarist/vocalist George T. and drummer Labros G.; that’s down from the four-piece they were with Giannis S. on guitar; they still have two guitars live — have never put out the same album twice, and as they have all along, the band have not neglected to learn what worked for them and what didn’t on Youth of Dissent, and as Cheat Death moves forward, from the stark colors of its Eva Mourtzi cover compared to the muted tones of the album prior — both covers have a message to send; I’m not belittling either approach — to the rhythmic drive behind “Götzen Hammer” or the get-what-you-see galloping frenzy of “Speedhead,” it both works from its own foundations and remains aware of what 1000mods have done before.
The hooky and somewhat melancholic “Overthrown” and the dreamier build of golly-I-hope-I-get-to-see-them-play-it-live-at-some-point-ever 10-minute finale “Grey, Green Blues” each showcase a mature songwriting process, and special attention seems to have been given to conveying a sense of energy in the material; in both the speedier shuffle of “The One Who Keeps Me Down” and the Hammond-tinged alt-rock verses of “Love,” even in the cello’ed and finger-plucked (plus piano) instrumental “Bluebird” later on, the band are able to direct their songs to different ends that feed into the overarching flow and depth of Cheat Death as a whole. Classic stuff, but there seems to be more consciousness in Cheat Death in terms of the band wanting to shake up the proceedings between the songs. Sometimes that’s a change in mood, as when the mostly-swaying (until the solo, which shreds) “Misery” and “Bluebird” offer a somber stretch before the title-track twists and careens like modern progressive metal playing back to ’80s riffing as the lyrics present a more hopeful take.
Arrangements are part of it too. As noted, “Bluebird” brings in cello (by Nikos Veliotis), while that same song, “Love,” and “Grey, Green Blues” boast keys/organ from Jiomy Amaranth. The feeling of expansion around the core of what 1000mods do musically is almost immediate on Cheat Death as Godsleep‘s Amie Makris joins Dani on vocals, and while also giving the album a singular heavy blowout, “Götzen Hammer” incorporates the voice of Apollonia “Api” Xylouris from Frenzee, semantron by Panos Z. and guitar by John S. That both of these songs appear early on doesn’t feel like a coincidence, as the procession of cuts across Cheat Death bears out an intentional push-pull dynamic, for example, as “Astral Odor” opens up some of the relative intensity of crush, which is something that “Cheat Death” answers back to later on side B. Most of the lyrical framework is brooding, emotive, longing and questioning, but the album is by no means all-downer in terms of point of view.
“Speedhead” might be almost afraid of its own manic shove, but “Love,” “Cheat Death” and “Grey, Green Blues” remind that it’s not all self-doubt and recriminations, and the music behind, in front of and generally all around the words follows suit. In this way, 1000mods create a diverse impression without ranging so far as to lose the plot or cohesion of the material itself, and their songs, which even in mid-album pieces like “Astral Odor” and “Love” are capable of reaching toward seven minutes long, have a quality underlying construction that not only justifies the breadth, but makes it an important part of the point. Shifts in perspective, subject, riff, whatever it might be become part of the album’s persona, and the included guest appearances do much to showcase 1000mods‘ big-picture considerations in terms of how the songs interact, what each one brings to the album, and why and what that adds to the course of its entirety.
To call the skill with which 1000mods execute Cheat Death anything less than masterful is probably underselling how much actual work the band have put into their growth over the last 15-plus years between the studio and touring, and where from 2014’s Vultures (review here, discussed here) onward, they could have been issuing clones of Super Van Vacation and still be one of the biggest names Greece has ever produced in heavy rock, the fact that they’re so uncompromising in their direction, that they don’t write any songs other than the ones they want to write, that somehow-daring chase toward authenticity, makes them all the more respectable.
They could take a probably an easier path but don’t because it wouldn’t be as fulfilling, and accordingly, their albums play out in succession to tell the story of their evolution in installments. Cheat Death is the latest of these, and that it’s their fifth record and the listener still comes out of it wondering where on earth they might go next should be taken as a sign of how special a band they are in the first place. Their commitment to exploring new ideas in their work is unflinching, paramount, and Cheat Death does this with correspondingly punkish grace and heart.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 5th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
This is the first Orange Goblin date I’ve seen for 2025, and surely won’t be the last fest the UK troupe headline as they continue to support this year’s Science, Not Fiction (review here) in Europe and beyond. At Heavy Psych Sounds Fest in Athens — the first time Italy’s Heavy Psych Sounds has put on one of its branded festivals in Greece — Tuber, Belzebong, Black Rainbows and Acid Mammoth will join in the fray of the two-nights/two-clubs event set for March 7 and 8, plus more names still to be unveiled. Of those, Tuber and Acid Mammoth represent the fertile native Greek underground, and it’s unlikely they’ll be the only ones to do so by the time the lineup is done. There’s no lack of bands to choose from between now and the end of winter.
The announcement came through today with what’s probably ultimately about half the bill — unless they’re really packing them in, which is always possible; I don’t know if Arch Club or Universe have more than one stage — but it’s a strong start either way and a way to let the heavy heads of Athens know that a thing is happening as tickets go on presale. This may be the first time in Athens, but it’s not at all Heavy Psych Sounds‘ first time branching into new territory, and you’ll note the partnership here with local producer TMR Entertainment Group, which continues a thread of aligning with regional promoters to ensure things go off with no more hitches than one might generally encounter in stoner-anything.
Another killer two-dayer, and that this sentence started with “another” should be taken as a sign of how utterly spoiled the world is for heavy festivals. Think about where you were and weren’t four years ago.
From the PR wire:
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ATHENS 2025
– FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ATHENS – 7th and 8th MARCH 2025 –
FIRST BANDS ANNOUNCED TODAY
THE HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST is landing in Athens for the first time on March 7 & 8, 2025, bringing with it an unstoppable rock earthquake! For two electrifying nights, ARCH Club and Universe will transform into hotspots for the stoner, doom, and psych rock scene, hosting some of the genre’s most legendary names.
Today Heavy Psych Sounds Records in cooperation with TMR Entertainment Group is announcing the FIRST CONFIRMED BANDS !!
– HPS FEST ATHENS 2025 – 7th and 8th March @ Arch Club @ Universe
FIRST CONFIRMED BANDS
ORANGE GOBLIN TUBER BELZEBONG BLACK RAINBOWS ACID MAMMOTH + more TBA
