July Filters get sticky from the heat. It takes time to cool em down and unstickify those rascals. We did it though, for YOU.
Greek Metal
we.own.the.sky – In Your Absence Review
“Though not all post-metal is instrumental, almost all instrumental metal bands play some variation of post-metal. One could write a riveting dissertation exploring the reasons behind this phenomenon and its implications, if one were inclined towards musical studies and history; alas, I am but a humble observer of such odd patterns and have no definitive answers. Perhaps it is part of how heavily defined by vocals many genres are; perhaps the textured and buildup-heavy nature of post-metal simply lends itself well to instrumental approaches. Greek 5-piece we.own.the.sky makes no effort to break the pattern on its third album In Your Absence, but as a fan of the style, I have no complaint.” Sky rights but no space.
Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review
“Raw black metal is a tricky proposition. There’s an extremely thin line to walk between production choices designed to add mood and atmosphere to compositions via a wall of auditory fog and production choices that sound like someone threw their equipment down a block of concrete stairs and deemed it “artistic.” Countless one-man projects launch all the time to throw their hat in the ring with the Black Cilices and Paysage D’hivers of the world, with results ranging from formidable to unlistenable. Hailing from Greece, Fell Omen are newcomers to this arena, with their second album dropping a meagre six months after their first. Such a rapid turnaround implies either a deep creative well or a collection of kiddie-pool shallow ideas, so let’s dive in and see what these dog summer days have to offer.” Never unchain(mail) the knight.
Church of the Sea – Eva Review
“I’ve often thought Adam’s rib-mate, Eve, got a bad rap. Led astray by the pesky serpent, Eve took that first bite of the fruit from the Forbidden Tree and shared it with her man. This act not only resulted in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden, but in Eve becoming traditionally branded as the original sinner, who eventually suffered the pains of childbirth as part of God’s consequence. Formed in 2017, and after releasing their debut album Odalisque in 2022, Greek doomgaze trio Church of the Sea has partnered with These Hands Melt to drop sophomore effort Eva, which aims to reimagine the story of Eve, celebrating her defiance and casting her in a different light.” Apples ain’t cheap.
Euphrosyne – Morus Review
“Death is an omnipresent theme in metal, and art in general, but the subject matter is especially poignant when approached by survivors of its trauma. Post-black quartet Euphrosyne tackle the loss of a loved one, in this case songwriter Alex Despotidis’ mother, on their debut LP, Morus. Post-black seems an appropriate style for the Greeks, with a focus on atmosphere, melody, and stillness to balance black metal fury. While the lyrics are credited to frontwoman Efi Eva, all the music was composed by Despotidis, an unenviable but hopefully cathartic duty for someone who just lost a parent.” Healing through music.
Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit Review
“If you’re especially in the know, you might already be familiar with the artist behind Fell Omen, Spider of Pynx. Having contributed hurdy-gurdy and electronica skills to two different Spectral Lore records under this moniker, he has also created cover art for Auriferous Flame, Cirkeln, and Μπατουσκα, under the name Gilded Panoply. After years of lurking about the black metal scene, with Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the Spider has the chance to step out of the background and begin their officially ‘metal’ musical arc as Fell Omen.” Bad omens.
Stuck in the Filter: November and December 2024’s Angry Misses
2024 will not die (because we won’t let it). Now you must sort through the flotsam and detritus of the November and December Filters before you can properly experience 2025. Embrace the suck pumps.
![Khirki – Κυκεώνας [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Khirki_Κυκεώνας_01.jpg.webp)
Khirki – Κυκεώνας [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]
“In 2021, Greek hard rock trio Khirki single-handedly reignited a fire inside a genre I, for a long time, felt had decomposed six feet under the soil. It just felt like every hard rock act regurgitated the same albums over and over throughout the mid-aughts, with little to no variation or innovation to speak of since. Yet, Κτηνωδία absorbed all of the latent creativity nobody on Earth seemed to exploit and shoehorned every drop into a massive triumph of a debut. Three years later, on comes Κυκεώνας.” Rock in a Greek place.
AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Zakula – White Forest Reign Lullabies
“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.” Zakula rises from the grape.
Triumpher – Spirit Invictus Review
“Everything changed when the water nation attacked. On the night of September 27th, spongekind existed peacefully in their humble home. The morning of September 28th, rampant destruction. While the flooding left my home fatally enmoistened, I persist. I now rise up in my ultimate glory, undefeated by a storm powerful enough to destroy my city. What better way to announce my return to the AMG Hall than with Greek epic metal quintet Triumpher’s much-awaited sophomore record, Spirit Invictus?” Rising above the storm.
