Whenever the subjects of Greece and metal music intertwine, the discussion tends to gravitate towards the Hellenes’ genuinely unique contribution to the black metal movement of the early-to-mid- 1990s. Quite naturally so, of course – albums such as Rotting Christ’s Thy Mighty Contract (1993) or Varathron’s His Majesty at the Swamp (1993) qualify as pinnacles of the heavy metal genre at large. However, the Greeks also had a good hand in creating peculiar forms of dark and atmospheric death metal, which more or less developed in tandem with (or slightly predated) the so-called Hellenic black metal idiom. One could make a good argument for them being closely related, as some bands more or less traversed the borders between the subgenres (which back then weren’t as solidified as some of our contemporaries would like to believe).
Since this series sets out to explore some of the early examples of Hellenic death metal through various underground releases, the focus will primarily be on vinyl-only EPs, mini-LPs and demo tapes. Some of the more successful acts eventually recorded proper full-length albums, but by then many of said bands had already moved beyond their earlier modes of expression – for better or worse depending on who you ask.
As a side-note, it should probably be mentioned that even if the original vinyl or tape releases often leave a lot to be desired in terms of recording quality, they do sound better than some of the poorly digitized files circulating on Youtube, blogspots or file sharing services. We’ve done our best to provide digitized versions of at least acceptable sound quality, but those who’ll (hopefully) have their interest sparked are advised to hunt down the actual physical releases. In most cases, these are still available relatively cheap on Discogs or similar places (at least compared to the hilarious prices asked for original vinyl copies of say, Amorphis’ “The Karelian Isthmus” or Sororicide’s “The Entity”).
Now, to start this series off, let’s have a closer look at one of the early independent label releases of Hellenic death metal, Horrified’s Eternal God (1991) EP.
Horrified – Eternal God (Black Power Records, 1991)
(suggested track: ”Eternal God”)
Formed in 1989, Athens’ Horrified belonged to the first wave of Greek underground death metal (excluding 1980s proto-death/thrash metal acts such as Flames, Danger Cross and Asfyx), and had their first, very crude, demo tape released in 1989. The Eternal God 12” EP was band’s first label release, issued on the domestic Black Power Records. At this stage, Horrified had developed a form of atmospheric death metal, most probably influenced by early Paradise Lost (supposedly a common source of inspiration for Greek death metal, as we will eventually discover).
The garage-level production values coupled with a non-flamboyant approach to both songwriting and technicality lends the EP a murky, organic air which fits well with the band’s overall expression. Granted, it would not have hurt the recording if the rhythm guitars had more bite to them (the demo material did sound more vicious in that regard) and they occasionally get drowned out by the percussion. Bass on the other hand is sufficiently audible and even gets a minor solo spot on the title track. The vocals – performed in the emblematic gruff style of much Greek death- and black metal – are perfectly decent for the style.
Songs are built around streams of staccato-based riffing interrupted by slower, moodier phrases; backed up by mostly old school style, mid-tempo double bass drumming or selective use of more upbeat 2/4’s. These interlocking riffs sequences are contrasted with reflective passages fronted by lead guitar – in the style of Paradise Lost or early Finnish death metal – and/or keyboards, which together create a sense of gradual, deepened immersion.
Horrified would subsequently go on to create more majestic and stylistically elaborate material on the follow-up EP The Ancient Whisper of Wisdom (1992) and debut full-length In the Garden of the Unearthly Delights (1993) – both quite similar to early Septic Flesh. Still, Eternal God remains worthy of exploration for its straightforward yet narrative-driven approach to old school death metal.
