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Album Review – Waves Idle Symmetry / Ametron (2024)

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This talented Black Metal duo hailing form Greece will take you on a stunning and grim journey to the sound of their first full-length album.

Formed in 2021 Chalcis, also called Chalkida or Halkida, the chief city of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, the talented Black Metal duo Waves Idle Symmetry is ready to unleash upon humanity their first full-length opus, titled Ametron, following up on their 2022 debut EP Thalassa. Recorded, mixed and mastered by David Prudent at Made in Hell Studio, and displaying a classy artwork by Alexandra Kyritsi, the album presents a much stronger and focused duo comprised of G.K. on vocals, guitars and bass, and C.D. on drums, expanding their music to further horizons by including progressive and technical elements to their sound while always remaining loyal to their core Black Metal essence, turning the journey through the nine tracks of the album into a truly engaging one for all admirers of the genre.

The Middle-Eastern acoustic guitar by G.K. kicks off the Black Metal feast Adrift In Aegean, quickly morphing into an overdose of sharp riffs and blast beats while G.K.’s both clean vocals and demonic roars exhale madness, followed by Waves Aligned, again presenting the duo’s pensive lyrics (“Deserted eyes / Sparking hate and sorrow / Reflecting the uncertainty / That grows inside me / A monster becoming / Fed in a nest of apathy / Egoism reacts in order / To defeat the misery”) amidst a bold, piercing and extreme onrush of old school Black Metal magic. C.D. then delivers intricate yet visceral beats in the headbanging tune Resilient, accompanied by the always incendiary riffage by G.K., whereas the title-track Ametron offers our putrid ears another overdose of hatred, obscurity and fire led by the crushing beats by C.D., flowing into a melancholic, grim sound in All These That Ends, where the gnarls by G.K. exhale endless evil, therefore offering us all pure Black Metal until the very last second.

Then leaning towards contemporary Melodic Black Metal the duo crushes our souls in Mindweaver, bringing forward more of their harsh gnarling, blast beats and incendiary riffs, as well as interesting switches between their more old school sound and their more melodic passages; and it’s time to break our necks headbanging in the name of evil in The Sun Of Despair, with G.K. and C.D. generating a beautiful Black Metal atmosphere with their guitars and drums while G.K. keeps vociferating manically nonstop. The Pillars Of Dignity presents more of their poetic words (“The innocence ends / As reality of failure strikes / Taste how it feels / To reach rock bottom / And trying to stand on your feet / Saviors drift apart / Numbness buried deep inside”) while the music remains imposing and cryptic during the song’s four minutes; whereas lastly the duo offers a climatic, epic tune titled Άπνοια, which is Greek for “apnea” or “shortness of breath”, alternating between demonic, harsh moments and more serene passages, with G.K. sounding evil with his roars and riffs.

While Waves Idle Symmetry are a Black Metal band, after listening to Ametron you’ll realize they’re not your regular Black Metal band, offering an array of styles in their sound to make things bolder and more interesting in the end. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout on Facebook and stay updated with all things Waves Idle Symmetry, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music, and of course to grab a copy of their newborn beast Ametron from their own BandCamp page. I think I don’t need to say how awesome the Greek Black Metal scene has always been, and we must thank bands like Waves Idle Symmetry for keeping the spirit alive and for embellishing the airwaves with their fusion of darkness and melody like what they have to offer in their new album, while us fans will have another reason to keep praising the Hellenic gods of metal for always offering us such amazing bands.

Best moments of the album: Waves Aligned, Ametron and The Sun Of Despair.

Worst moments of the album: Resilient.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Adrift In Aegean 5:26
2. Waves Aligned 5:02
3. Resilient 4:52
4. Ametron 4:46
5. All These That Ends 6:03
6. Mindweaver 4:48
7. The Sun Of Despair 4:15
8. The Pillars Of Dignity 3:46
9. Άπνοια 5:46

Band members
G.K. – vocals, guitars, bass
C.D. – drums

Album Review – Peculiar Three / Leap Of Faith (2020)

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A talented trio of Greek musicians invites us all to their cyclical dance in their first full-length album full of rock emotion, metal aesthetic and prog essence.

“Do you remember what Darwin says about music? He claims that the power of producing and appreciating it existed among the human race long before the power of speech was arrived at. Perhaps that is why we are so subtly influenced by it. There are vague memories in our souls of those misty centuries when the world was in its childhood.” – Sherlock Holmes – A Study in Scarlet

Formed in 2013 in Livadia, a town located in the central part of Greece, Progressive Rock/Metal studio project Peculiar Three, also known as peculiar three or even π3, is inviting us all to their cyclical dance with their first full-length opus Leap Of Faith, following up on their 2014 EP P3culiar. Mixed, produced and mastered at Locomotive Sound Studio by Ektoras Sohos, and displaying a stunning artwork by Greek artist Sotiris Kotsonis, Leap Of Faith was entirely performed and recorded live by vocalist and bassist Valantis Dafkos, guitarist an keyboardist Panos Karkanas and drummer Paris Gatsios, offering fans of the genre 46 minutes of first-class, organic heavy music split into seven new songs plus a very special bonus track, all full of rock emotion, metal aesthetic and prog essence.

Panos kicks of the band’s progressive party with his melodious riffage in Perpetual, gradually accompanied by the rhythmic beats by Paris and the whimsical vocals by Valantis, evolving into a fusion of epicness and creativity; whereas investing into a Black Sabbath-inspired Doom Metal sonority (sounding like their classic “Heaven & Hell” at times) the band offers us all Innermost, featuring a saz solo by guest Mantis Savvidis, with Valantis smashing his bass beautifully and with the music remaining dark and melodic from start to finish. Then we have Inkblot, a Progressive Rock extravaganza by the trio that’s more direct and less dense than its predecessors, where Panos keeps embellishing the airwaves with his riffs while Valantis provides some wicked vocal lines; and a somber and melancholic intro ignites the also entertaining Marginal, blending progressiveness with the heavier sounds of Southern and Stoner Metal, with Paris dictating the pace with his slow and steady beats.

The title-track Leap of Faith is an electrifying feast of traditional rock and metal where all band members are in total sync, with Panos once again slashing his strings in great fashion while also presenting melancholic and somber passages. In The Sentient, less vibrant than the rest of the album, the band goes full progressive and abandons most of their heaviness for a while, and albeit not being truly exciting, it’s still a very pleasant song perfect for admirers of the genre with Panos and Paris making a dynamic duo with their riffs and beats. Peculiar Three get back to a more headbanging sound in Knaves o’ Knives, displaying elements from the music by bands such as Alice In Chains blended with the doom by Black Sabbath and a touch of 70’s rock, resulting in a great jamming vibe by the trio from start to finish. And lastly, featuring orchestrations and keys by guest Panos Makoulis, the bonus track Caliban’s End brings to our ears a serene and inspiring sound, with its acoustic lines and orchestrations walking hand in hand and, therefore, putting a very beautiful ending to the album.

You can enjoy this very entertaining and utterly independent, DIY album of Progressive Rock and Metal in its entirety on Spotify, but of course the best way to show the guys from Peculiar Three your support and admiration is by purchasing the album from their BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon, as well as by following them on Facebook and by subscribing to their YouTube channel for more of their music. There’s still a long road ahead of those talented Greek rockers, but the healthy evolution in their sound from their debut EP to Leap Of Faith in terms of creativity and overall sound quality already indicates that the sky is the limit for them, which is not only good new for fans of progressive music, but to anyone who enjoys an honest and fun combination of the thrilling sound of guitars, bass and drums in the name of rock.

Best moments of the album: Innermost and Knaves o’ Knives.

Worst moments of the album: The Sentient.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Perpetual 5:41
2. Innermost 5:40
3. Inkblot 5:44
4. Marginal 5:36
5. Leap of Faith 5:14
6. The Sentient 4:55
7. Knaves o’ Knives 7:10
8. Caliban’s End (bonus track) 5:49

Band members
Valantis Dafkos – lead & backing vocals, bass
Panos Karkanas – guitars, keys
Paris Gatsios – drums

Guest musicians
Mantis Savvidis – saz solo on “Innermost”
Panos Makoulis – orchestration & keys on “Caliban’s End”