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Album Review – Reflection / The Battles I Have Won (2025)

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These Greek warriors will shatter the silence once again by the sound of thunder as their fifth studio album comes galloping out of the darkness, a paradise for those whose hearts still burn with the flame of Heavy Metal.

Eight years after the release of Bleed Babylon Bleed, Athens, Greece-based Epic Heavy Metal veterans Reflection will shatter the silence once again by the sound of thunder as The Battles I Have Won, their fifth studio album, comes galloping out of the darkness. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Dark Water Audio, produced by Stathis Pavlantis at Music House Studio, and showcasing a ruthless and fierce warrior in the artwork by Alexander Vasilopoulos, the new opus by vocalist Kostas Tokas, guitarist Stathis Pavlantis, bassist John Litinakis, and drummer Giorgos Pavlantis, with additional orchestrations by guest Kostas Rekleitis, is a must-listen for  fans of Iron Maiden, Manowar, Doomsword, and Omen, where every song is a highlight in its own right. Put differently, The Battles I Have Won is a paradise for those whose hearts still burn with the flame of Heavy Metal.

Stathis begins shredding his axe in the name of Epic Heavy Metal in Only the Swords Survive, a fast and furious tune where Kostas leads his horde with his soaring vocals; and Giogos hammers his drums in the best Manowar style in The Battles I Have Won, consequently inspiring us all to head into the battlefield alongside those Greek warriors. Lord of the Wind is another song with a strong Manowar vibe, with John and Giorgos building a striking galloping rhythm, offering Kostas all he needs to shine on vocals, whereas Sirens’ Song is an even more cinematic and imposing creation by the quartet where the additional orchestrations by guest Kostas Rekleitis bring an extra dosage of epicness to their already powerful Heavy Metal, followed by Once Again (Crime in the Valley of Death), carrying a poetic name for a thrilling fusion of Heavy and Power Metal led by Stathis’ piercing riffs.

Celestial War sounds and feels a bit generic compared to the rest of the album, although Kostas still showcases a solid performance on vocals supported by the hammering drums by Giorgos; and back to a more exciting and visceral mode, March of the Argonauts is a lecture in Power Metal where all bands members are on absolute fire, in special Stathis armed with his scorching riffs. Then offering their most melodious side, the band fires the Melodic Heavy Metal feast entitled Lady in the Water, with Stathis once again delivering sheer electricity through his axe accompanied by the rumbling bass by John. And last but not least, it’s time for the epic City Walls of Malta – The Great Siege to conclude the album on a thunderous mode, with Kostas declaiming the song’s dark words in great fashion.

True legends of the Greek Heavy Metal scene, Reflection carefully added tons of depth and atmosphere to each tale as The Battles I Have Won unfolds, sounding absolutely warm and richly textured, vibrant, vital and alive. Needless to say, The Battles I Have Won will surely come to be regarded as Reflection’s finest album to date, and you can become part of their history by purchasing a copy of the album from the Pitch Black Records’ BandCamp or webstore (as a CD, an LP, or a CD + LP bundle), as well as from Vinylstore.gr (also as a CD or an LP). Don’t forget to also give those Greek warriors a shout on Facebook, fighting side by side with them in the battlefield in the name of our beloved Heavy Metal, because they might have won many battles, but they’re ready for more armed with their undisputed new album.

Best moments of the album: The Battles I Have Won, Sirens’ Song and March of the Argonauts.

Worst moments of the album: Celestial War.

Released in 2025 Pitch Black Records

Track listing
1. Only the Swords Survive 3:56
2. The Battles I Have Won 4:17
3. Lord of the Wind 4:51
4. Sirens’ Song 4:42
5. Once Again (Crime in the Valley of Death) 5:30
6. Celestial War 4:45
7. March of the Argonauts 5:05
8. Lady in the Water 5:16
9. City Walls of Malta – The Great Siege 4:44

Band members
Kostas Tokas – vocals
Stathis Pavlantis – guitars
John Litinakis – bass
Giorgos Pavlantis – drums

Guest musician
Kostas Rekleitis – additional orchestrations, string and choir arrangements

Album Review – R.U.S.T.X / Center Of The Universe (2019)

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Deeply rooted into 70’s and 80’s rock and metal music, three brothers and one sister from Cyprus are unleashing upon us their sensational third full-length album.

Formed in Agioi Trimithias, a village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus, in the year of 2003 under the name Flames In Ice, and known as R.U.S.T. from 2004 until 2014, Heavy Metal/Hard Rock four-piece act R.U.S.T.X is ready to take the world of rock and metal by storm once again with their third full-length album entitled Center Of The Universe, bringing to our avid ears truly from-the-heart and no bullshit melodic Heavy Metal with classic rocking passages highly inspired by renowned bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Warlord, Savatage, Stormwitch and Riot, their absolute passion as one can easily determine with just one listen. Comprised of three brothers and one sister, those being Peter Pan Xanthou on the guitars, George Xanthou on bass, Katerina Xanthou on keyboards and John Xanthou on drums, all four members share the vocal duties in the album, giving it an even more unique taste.

Enthusiastic and passionate about everything they do, their brand new opus will unquestionably convince old school lovers that they do mean serious business, with their outstanding positive energy and originality being accurately reflected by each of the album’s ten magnificent songs deeply rooted into 70’s and 80’s Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal. Featuring guest appearances by Paolo Nipa (Dark Quarterer) and Andrea Ramacciotti (Deadly Tide), recorded and mixed at Woodstock Recording Studio in Piombino, Italy by Andrea Ramacciotti, and displaying a magical artwork created by the amazing Chris Achilleos, known for his unique interpretation of stunning amazons, epic dragons and paintings inspired by ancient civilizations and mythology, Center Of The Universe will put you in a trance from start to finish, showing how powerful and gripping the music by R.U.S.T.X can be. “With this album we really pushed ourselves to the limit and the result is like something out of this planet. A comeback to the 70’s and 80’s era of Rock and Metal music that we so much adore,” commented the band, giving you a very good idea of the insane rock n’ roll party that’s about to begin as soon as you hit play.

Uniting the classic rock by AC/DC with the progressiveness of Rush, the Xanthou Brothers and Sister embellish the airwaves with the opening track Defendre Le Rock, showcasing a healthy and beautiful balance between the heavy riffs and piercing solos by Peter and the whimsical keys by Katerina, whereas in Running Man the quartet speeds things up and delivers sheer adrenaline in the form of music, with John taking the lead with his frantic drums while Katerina continues to blast her Deep Purple and Axel Rudi Pell-inspired keys, resulting in a true Cypriot Metal hymn. And in Black Heart the band takes us all to a journey back to the 70’s, blasting high-end Progressive Rock with George shaking the foundations of the earth with his bass. Not only that, it’s definitely very interesting how their vocal lines are always more enraged than the usual Progressive Rock and Metal acts throughout the entire song.

Then an eccentric intro grows in intensity until pure Rock N’ Roll hits us in the head in I Stand To Live, spearheaded by Katerina’s powerful vocals, and again it’s amazing how they can offer so many vocal styles in one album, not to mention their superb job on the guitars and bass (especially the flammable solos by Peter Pan); followed by Endless Skies, an upbeat composition by the band displaying classic Hard Rock infused with 80’s and 90’s elements, as well as numerous breaks and variations, presenting an amazing job done by both George and John with their rumbling instruments. And the sounds of nature and gentle voices ignite the title-track Center Of The Universe, feeling like the overture of a sonic ritual and sounding absolutely unique and experimental. Get ready for over ten minutes of complex guitar lines and classy keys, enfolding vocalizations and all of the band’s other magical sounds and tones until the song’s grand finale, turning it into a must-listen for admirers of the genre.

The electric guitars by Peter Pan dictate the rhythm in the dancing rock tune Widow’s Cry, sounding like a Hybrid between the early days of Nightwish with Doro where Katerina once again steals the spotlight with her gorgeous vocal lines, while Peter Pan’s slashing riffs and solos and George’s Iron Maiden-inspired bass lines are the icing on the cake. In Wake Up, an excellent Progressive Rock extravaganza, they sound like a younger and European version of Rush, bringing forward a fantastic work done by John with his intricate beats, and keys and riffs in total sync that will certainly warm up the listener’s heart and soul. And last but not least, the CD version of the album contains two awesome bonus tracks, starting with the headbanging rock tune Dirty Road, where the entire band breathes fire from their tuneful instruments, and Band On The Run, a sensational cover version of the song by Paul McCartney & Wings released in 1973 (check the original one HERE), where R.U.S.T.X give the song a more progressive and psychedelic vibe.

You can find Center Of The Universe available for a full and detailed listen on Spotify, but of course in order to show your utmost support to this talented family I recommend you purchase your desired version of the album from the band’s own webstore, from the Pitch Black Records’ BandCamp or webstore, and from several other locations such as Saturn.de, Apple Music, Amazon and Discogs. Also, why don’t you give them a shout on their Facebook page and also subscribe to their YouTube channel? Those are excellent ways to keep in touch with what’s certainly one of the best and most exciting bands hailing from Cyprus, and without any doubt the most united and passionate family from the underground Rock N’ Roll scene.

Best moments of the album: Running Man, I Stand To Live, Widow’s Cry and Band On The Run.

Worst moments of the album: Black Heart.

Released in 2019 Pitch Black Records

Track listing
1. Defendre Le Rock 4:51
2. Running Man 3:25
3. Black Heart 4:29
4. I Stand To Live 5:26
5. Endless Skies 4:32
6. Center Of The Universe 9:09
7. Widow’s Cry 5:38
8. Wake Up 4:45

CD bonus tracks
9. Dirty Road 4:17
10. Band On The Run (Paul McCartney & Wings cover) 5:18

Band members
Peter Pan Xanthou – guitars, vocals
George Xanthou – bass, vocals
Katerina Xanthou – keyboards, vocals
John Xanthou – drums, vocals

Guest musicians
Paolo “Nipa” Ninci – drums, percussion
Andrea Ramacciotti – guitars