Behold the debut offering by this Hellenic Melodic Dark Metal beast, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek cycle of Hybris, Ate, Nemesis, and Tisis.
A Melodic Dark Metal band formed in 2009 in Athens, Greece by guitarist Akis Pastras, but that remained dormant until 2020, Damon Systema are unleashing upon humanity their first ever sonic offering, simply titled Ate. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Akis Pastras at 3rDi Lab-Station, mastered by George Nerantzis, and displaying a stunning artwork by Okim Tulal, the debut album by Ruby Bouziotis and Nick Vlachakis on vocals, Akis Pastras on the guitars and bass, and The Goat on drums offers a striking fusion of Progressive Death, Doom and Heavy Metal, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek cycle of Hybris, Ate, Nemesis, and Tisis, exploring the timeless themes of pride, calamity, divine punishment, and ultimate reckoning, being highly recommended for fans of The Agonist, Arch Enemy, Aephanemer, Aversed, and Dark Oath, among others.
The sinister guitars lines by Akis kick off the eight minute extravaganza titled Moirae, a song about the inescapable grip of destiny, with the harsh roars by Nick creating a visceral paradox with Ruby’s hypnotizing clean vocals. Then The Goat takes the lead with his pounding drums in Lady Discordia, an incendiary, headbanging metal feast mirroring the strife and turmoil sown by the goddess of discord, where Ruby shines once again with her striking vocals; followed by Harvest of Tears, which channels the lament of Aeschylus’ The Persians, with devastating crescendos capturing the weight of loss and where once again Akis slashes his stringed axe in great fashion, offering a flammable fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Doom and Gothic Metal elements.
Akis then brings the groove armed with his bass in the title-track Ate, embodying the blinding madness inflicted by the goddess herself, flowing smoothly until its dark and piercing finale. Ruby then presents her deepest, most penetrating vocal lines in Adrasteia, an epic journey into Nemesis’ unyielding grip, supported by the massive beats by The Goat and a razor-edged guitar solo by Akis, before all comes to an end with Poenas Dare, delivering the crushing reckoning of Tisis, a punishing yet cathartic conclusion that resonates with the eternal struggle for atonement. Musically speaking, it’s the perfect Melodic Dark Metal tune to conclude the album, with the entire band sounding tight and on fire, with Nick screaming with tons of anger and hatred in his blackened heart, being complemented by another mesmerizing performance by Ruby while Akis continues to deliver sheer adrenaline through his riffs.
In summary, brace yourself for an odyssey of crushing riffs, haunting melodies, and timeless allegory in Ate, bridging the ancient and the modern, the mythological and the visceral, creating a sonic experience that lingers long after the final note fades. Those amazing Greek musicians are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their fusion of extreme music and Greek mythology, and you can grab your copy of the excellent Ate from the Theogonia Records’ webstore or BandCamp. Or in other words, simply face your inner calamity, embrace Ate, and let the powerful music by another fantastic Hellenic metal band penetrate deep inside your darkened soul.
Best moments of the album: Lady Discordia, Ate and Poenas Dare.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Theogonia Records
Track listing
1. Moirae 8:16
2. Lady Discordia 6:25
3. Harvest of Tears 6:55
4. Ate 7:14
5. Adrasteia 8:22
6. Poenas Dare 7:25
Band members
Ruby Bouziotis – vocals
Nick Vlachakis – vocals
Akis Pastras – guitars, bass
The Goat – drums
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 