Ladies and gentlemen, we have another new Metal artist to grace us with their arrival.  His name is Errikos Bloukos, and he has released his first album through the Greek record label Alcyone Records.  Errikos Bloukos is a guitarist from Greece, and on May 20th of this year-just a little under two months ago-he released "Wuthering Minds."  This debut album from the newcomer consists of five instrumental tracks that are full of Thrash Metal and even Classic Heavy Metal.  If you're not a fan of songs without lyrics, then this record is most likely not for you.  However, if you're the opposite, then I will say that "Wuthering Minds" contains some of the most satisfying and unique instrumental tracks I have ever heard so far.

The first track/title track "Wuthering Minds" showcases Errikos Bloukos's unique style of metal music.  From the start, we can hear all of the traditional instruments of Heavy Metal: the guitars, drums, and bass.  The only thing that remains absent, not just on this track but also the other four, are vocals.  This is no surprise, since Errikos Bloukos has deliberately made his debut album strictly instrumental.  In between the beautiful mixture of Thrash Metal-style instrumentals, you'll hear intermittent passages of keyboard playing, which actually may come as a surprise.  Keyboards are not usually heard with thrash metal bands such as SLAYER or SEPULTURA, but they are sometimes used in Classic Heavy Metal.  As we move on to the second song "The Void of Consiousness," the keyboards become nonexistent.  I was a little disappointed that "The Void of Consiousness" was too similar to the album's opening track.  The only difference was I could tell Errikos Bloukos uses double bass pedals with his music's drumming, which when mixed with the rest of the instruments, gives "The Void of Consiousness" undertones of LAMB OF GOD.  The third track "Above the Sky" nearly ties with the second track for being the longest on the album: "The Void of Consiousness" is 7 minutes and 18 seconds long, while "Above the Sky" is literally only 3 seconds shorter.  Once again, the third track is somewhat monotonous alongside the two preceding songs, but the keyboards do make a return at the outro of the song.  In summary, despite the monotonous work, the first three tracks have a sound that seems largely inspired by METALLICA.

After finishing more than half of "Wuthering Minds'' with its first three songs, the next song in the 5-star lineup is "Parallel."  Not only is it the record's shortest song, but it also takes a much more different sound than the opening title track, "The Void of Consiousness," and "Above the Sky."  First off, it opens with a short segment of synthesized audio.  Secondly, the keyboards are actually infused with the Thrash Metal instrumentation, and the double bass pedals are more resounding in the second half of the fourth track.  The final song is "Trapped" and successfully manages to sound different from the rest of the album.  With its medium duration of about 6 ½ minutes, it is a satisfying close to Errikos Bloukos's debut record.

Errikos Bloukos is definitely a talented metal musician, and his debut album "Wuthering Minds" proves that point.  There are more than a few moments where his music could have benefited from some variety, but that is achieved with the last two songs "Parallel" and "Trapped."  If anything, the album also proves that songs don't need to have lyrics in order to be considered "metal."  Instrumental tracks/albums are an acquired taste, so they are not for everyone.  For those who are open to such art, by all means, enjoy "Wuthering Minds."  It will take you to new levels of experimentation and creativity.