{"id":86802,"date":"2018-11-16T13:00:45","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T19:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/?p=86802"},"modified":"2018-11-16T11:03:47","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T17:03:47","slug":"an-introduction-to-hellenic-death-metal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/an-introduction-to-hellenic-death-metal\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to Hellenic Death Metal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To any dedicated fan of underground metal, Greece undoubtedly stands as one of the most prolific<\/a> and die hard countries in terms of output and fanatics. As recounted in a recent interview with Wrathblade<\/b><\/a> and in this great blogpost about Greece\u2019s fascination with heavy metal<\/a>, the country remained a hotbed for traditional metal even during the style\u2019s darkest days (mid-late 1990s).<\/p>\n

The reverence for classic heavy metal would prove to be supremely important in the development of Greece\u2019s own takes of other heavy metal subgenres. As many black metal devotees will know, as the scene in Norway was taking off, the same was happening in Greece. In contrast to their Northern peers, Hellenic Black Metal had a warmer, more occult sound deeply influenced by early heavy metal (for more information on the early\/modern Hellenic scene, the following primer<\/a> covers the bulk of the bands in the genre).<\/p>\n

Just as traditional heavy metal melodies were infused in Greece\u2019s black metal, so too did were they born into Greek death metal. In its genesis at the start of the \u201890s, both Septic Flesh<\/b> and Horrified<\/b> were starting to forge a very melodic and atmospheric take on the genre. However, the release of Paradise Lost<\/b>\u2019s iconic Gothic<\/i> in 1991 would also prove to be a significant influence on the development of the Hellenic sound. Gothic\u2019s fusion of doomy death metal with dark, ethereal melodies taken from \u201880s goth rock would serve as inspiration for the latter works of Septic Flesh\/Horrified and many of the bands that came after them- this primer focuses on that ephemeral Greek styled death metal, and was co-written by myself and my friend Dan to introduce you lot to it.<\/p>\n

Despite a tendency for fans of the early Greek death metal scene to focus on the bands with that sound, the Greek scene actually started a few years earlier. One of the most important bands to the early scene was the mighty Flames<\/b>, who formed playing speed metal before growing darker and darker with some of the first thrash and then early extreme metal to come out of Greece. By their third album, Summon The Dead<\/i>, Flames was playing extreme and somewhat melodic thrash, thus paving the way for extreme music in Greece. Despite little of it sounding like what we\u2019ve come to expect from the Hellenic death metal scene, you can hear the first tinges of what would emerge just a few years later.<\/p>\n

Even more extreme was the birth of Death Courier<\/b><\/a> in 1987. Though the band was younger, they were immediately playing death metal influenced music, and a lot of it sounded more like what you\u2019d expect from Hellenic death metal. Much of the music was still primitive and raw death\/thrash on their \u201880s demo material, but melodic leads, bouncing rhythms, and more somber parts would sometimes predict the birth of the scene. This would only grow more pronounced with the band\u2019s Necrorgasm<\/i> 7\u201d, which despite still being rooted firmly in thrash showcased a lot more of the mid-paced chugging heavy metal riffs and leadwork of the Hellenic death metal sound. Also worth mentioning is that a couple of the Death Courier guys helped out Varathron<\/b> in their earliest days, hence the appearance of Theo and Bill on the Live At The Swamp<\/i> demo; another connection to the Greek black metal scene comes from Nigel playing briefly in Vomit<\/b>, a short-lived band containing members that would go on to join bands like Varathron, Necromantia, and Sarcastic Terror..<\/p>\n

Hot on Death Courier\u2019s heels were more musically accomplished death\/thrashing masters Septicemia<\/b>. Though the material is not even remotely in the vein of the Hellenic sound, it has an almost unparalleled aggression among the early Greek scene alongside some great technical leadwork, and, more importantly, served as the first band (as far as I can tell from my research) of a couple of prominent members of the early scene. From Septicemia came the roots of both Horrified<\/b> as well as Nightfall<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Around the same time that Septicemia was coming together, Necromantia<\/b> formed under the moniker of Necromancy <\/b>(after a name change from an earlier version of the band which never released anything). Though they\u2019re by far better known for their dual-bass approach to black metal, they originally played ripping primordial death\/thrash which contained some early leanings towards the Greek death metal sound. The early Necromantia \/ Necromancy material was unearthed a couple of years ago and released by Soulseller Records<\/b> as a double CD \/ double LP, and is well worth picking up.<\/p>\n

The early Hellenic death metal scene ran roughly from around 1990 up until 1996, before the sound ultimately died and Greek bands became more vested in producing death metal of other kinds. While most old school death metal scenes have met with some kind of revival in recent years, the Hellenic scene still largely remains unknown and in the shadow of their black metal counterparts. Very few bands still remain keeping this old sound alive and the intent of this primer is to shine some light on both the originators and the small bands that played a part in this miniscule scene.<\/p>\n

The Greek Sound: Elder Gods<\/b><\/h3>\n

Septic Flesh<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Septic Flesh is quite possibly the single most important death metal band to the Hellenic sound, and the only one to ever truly break out of Greece from the original crop of bands. By 1991 they were already using a heavy amount of synths to add to the atmosphere of their music, complementing their stellar lead guitar usage. The early material combines repetitive black metal-esque gorgeous tremolo picked lines with aggressive rhythms and huge bass to form an assault as catchy as it is heavy, and through the years they would add more and more influence from symphonic music (with an interest in the field growing deep enough for the band\u2019s guitarist and orchestration master Christos<\/b> even picked up a degree in composition) and early Paradise Lost. By their third album heavier than ever keyboard sections, female guest vocals, and clean vocals from lead guitarist Sotiris flitted in and out of the brutal rhythm work to form some truly unique Hellenic death metal. Though by now Septic Flesh has rebranded themselves as \u201cSepticFlesh\u201d and abandoned their early death metal roots, the early Septic Flesh material is some of the best and most influential to the scene, and they stayed true to their core sound long past the point where most Greek death metal bands had abandoned theirs.<\/p>\n

Recommended listening: Forgotten Path<\/i>, Temple of the Lost Race<\/i>, Mystic Places of Dawn<\/i><\/p>\n