On Friday (16/11/2007) and Sunday (18/11/2007) occurred, here in Athens, a festival of Greek metal bands that gave the inflammation for some thoughts coming to mind. Yes, it's a well known situation what I'll describe below and it's not a big thing to rely my report upon these facts but I can't hide myself without revealing the truth.

I'll state it as simple as I can: THERE IS NO METAL CROWD HERE IN ATHENS. There are very few individuals that are into metal, but the majority is a piece of 'poser' shit. I cannot understand why people don't support the underground and festivals like this one. Which are the reasons for this lack of crowd?

- There was not a real advertise for this live event. Not even a fucking piece of paper outside the club. Unbelievable!
- People here don't have a metal attitude, a metal way of living, or even better they don't hear metal music. The crowd of Athens is for ANATHEMA, THE GATHERING or for METALLICA.

I'm so pissed off that I don't wanna speak for anything else, maybe we will return with an article based upon these things. The consequence for all above is the rotting of the underground. I don't believe it's so big thing for someone to give 9 Euros and enjoy five or six bands. Also I was completely pissed off with the absence of beer from the ticket. Are we serious? How much does a beer cost? 50 Cents, one Euro? Give a beer with the fucking ticket in the name of Lucifer. Who knows, maybe the owner of the club is the uncle of Donald Duck!

So, it's Friday and on 20:32 WINGS OF DENIED (??) were on stage, despite the fact that the lgig was planned to start one hour before. A very young band into the Chaos AD period of SEPULTURA, and their 20–minute set included two covers on Propaganda and Territory. I'm not so much into hardcore, but they were not bad if we include the young age into this.

The second band, NECROSHINE, was more thrash-y with many KREATOR references (they played also an Invisible Brutality cover). The sound was not the best, in the end one guitarist had terrible problems with his instrument, the cover of Raining Blood was a disaster and I think they should act more physical upon the stage, although I understand that a live gig with 20 people seeing you is horrible by itself. Anyway: THRASH!!!

DAMNED CREED had the best sound. The guitarist is a killer; the vocalist gave a great performance. A four-piece act into THE HAUNTED or SLAYER hardcore–jumping area, that again it's not my taste but they were extremely good and convincing. The covers on Raining Blood (again) and Arise were perfect. Check them; I think they have a demo ready out.

A trio named BC (??) - also into hardcore, PANTERA-style - were next, and it's completely out of what I want to hear. They played a 20-minute set, (including covers from I'm Broken) of PANTERA to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY.
The first day ended with the coming of CRUCIFIER. A very, very good, pure thrash metal band that you must check immediately. They were born in 1995, many people came and left, (John, do you remember some old discussions for DARK ANGEL in the Without Breath (!!!) club?) and they have released some demos and two CDs that you must listen to. I don't have to add anything else. THRASH TILL DEATH.

Sunday's bands were better but the delay was a deadly experience, since the gig started after two hours after the announced hour! I heard that some bands arrived too late for the soundcheck and the result was this. If this is true these deserve a huge middle finger, unless there is a good excuse. In the beginning the club had some few people; you know, the rest of the bands and their friends while a band was having a soundcheck!

First band was MIASMA with a presentation of their songs that reminds us of DEATH SS, KING DIAMOND or ALICE COOPER. Nuns, monks, exorcisms, bloody embryos that were born from brides, feeding of the members with shit of these newborn babies(!!!), mocking of religion's symbols, horns upon the head of the singer, masks and others. This band is between shock heavy metal and a carnival of horror making them unique for the standards of the Greek metal scene. They started with a cover on Come To The Sabbath of BLACK WIDOW (!!!) plus Fgmenth, Thy Gift of ROTTING CHRIST, Black Magic and Deathcrush. Their songs are like coming from Deathcrush with a brutal death touch but I don't thing they fit well with the whole concept behind. In the end we heard the Animal... cover from W.A.S.P. with an intro of Like A Virgin of MADONNA (!!!) that was performed by a sex doll! Don't miss them if they'll play a gig somewhere near you, you'll see something different for sure.

SAVAOTH were a young band that follows melodic, majestic paths of black metal, you know DIMMU BORGIR (they played a cover of the Norwegians, plus another one in Mother North of SATYRICON), EMPEROR and the rest. The guys (and a lady in keyboards) were cool, but the sound didn't help them. The keys were buried and I believe the sound engineer didn't do his job well and this goes to all bands of this day. He destroyed all bands, the guy was unbelievable. Did they pay him for this?

The only band that had a good sound was DIMLIGHT, basically they had the best one of all bands in these two days. Each instrument sounded clear and perfect and the six–piece band (with female vocals and a keyboard player) was great, although this music is not my cup of tea. This band is ready for a record contract and the release of an album.

Did after DIMLIGHT a nuclear bomb exploded? Where all the people go? The other bands? This is a disgrace. I don't understand why the bands complain about the promotion of the Greek scene in local press and in the same time all of them are absent when the others play. Did some of them, if they had to play last in line, wanted their audience including ten people? Is it fair? Ok, it was Sunday, the other day many of them had to go for their jobs; the hour also was a quarter before one and I understand this vindication, but, did all of them have this justification?

LILITH ON FIRE played for 20 minutes, a fucking great band that remind me a lot of SACRED STEEL. The band didn't have a good sound (the engineer did his miracle again!) but the music was PERFECT! By far the best band of the whole festival.
The time was exactly 01:20 and DEAD HUMAN FACTORY started their gig. Downstage there were some friends of them, and two other guys: me and my friend Priest Nick (thanx for your company man and don't forget, all songs of JUDAS PRIEST are written by Ian Hill, but he is so low profile that he doesn't admit it!!). The band members are heroes. They played for themselves and us, and I really enjoyed it a lot. Their sound is in the SEPULTURA Chaos AD vein with many industrial stuff I would say references. The trio played five songs including a cover of Orgasmatron from MOTORHEAD and another one of SEPULTURA. The drummer was completely Igor Cavalera-influenced; they have released three demos and keep them in your mind, if you like these sounds.

SUPPORT THE UNDERGROUND you little posers, or else metal will die. Unless you want to hear the pop crap that the major magazines and companies put you to buy.