A small Greek melodeath band by the name of Flamecore released an album I missed all the way back in February of 2025. Their self-titled debut LP "Flamecore" is their first-ever album, and while they racked up some numbers with their lead singles, the album didn't get much attention (at least near me) due to a small(er) social media following. Metallum cites that the band is signed to WormHoleDeath Records, but the album was released independently. Whatever the case is, I'm ready to uncover this little nugget of Greek melodic death metal.

As mentioned, two music videos were put up on their YouTube channel, and they each got three to five thousand views each - not bad! The first was "Only Waste Remains." A loud and speedy barrage of music slams into you at full speed. The lyrics are shouted with attitude and passion, and the melody is certainly there. The melody seems to be fitted to climax the end of the song, but it fades slowly with electronic elements. A calm interlude also with electronics helps provide a bridge between the dynamic segments of the track. I have no problems with the lead single, but the mixing is a bit tinny, and the fade-out takes a while. The other song to receive special treatment is "Planes of Nameck." An orchestral opening here, with a strings that simulate the sounds of an angry swarm of hornets. The meat of the song is taken up by some delicious drums and tremolo-picked melodies that lay a perfect landing pad for the solid vocal delivery. Some devilish spoken word and the returning electronics butt their way in, and while I'm listening to the melodic buildup, I'm hoping for a brief ending with no futuristic sounds. A technically profecient solo is also somehow packaged into this beast of a song. The track ends with a satisfying ending I was hoping to hear. "Planes of Nameck" is a great standout track.

The album continues on, next with "Flamecore." A band named Flamecore, playing a song called "Flamecore," on an album titled "Flamecore" - how great is that? The riffs in this song sound cleaner, and soar through the atmosphere of the composition. The double bass drumming is relentless, and the singing is hellish but still intelligible and cleanly mixed. Some sort of breakdown is initiated from a demanding "GO!," and the groove commences. It grooves and pounds until it quickly turns into some piano. The piano is gothic in sound and rich in tone, fitting some themes previously explored by the band. Wrapping up the first half of tracks is "Projected Reality." Higher highs are belched out, and some crispy blast beats are finally used - I was waiting for some, as I love a good blast beat. The quiddity of Swedish metal really shines through with fine songs such as these.

"Death Awaits" works with some theatrics, with a whispery chorus and high-pitched electronics that mimic those pitches from horror movies where the victim is JUST about to be stabbed. The eerie sound of synths come back to life in "From The Shadows," a fitting place for them if they had to be included. This song, like the rest, is just plain fun. There's nothing stand-out worthy of it compared to other tracks, as they are all one part brutal, one part fun and bouncy. "Celebrate Yourself" - what a charming title! Especially with that album cover and sounds Flamecore produce. A confusing sample of who knows what kicks off this positive song. Lastly, "Hunger For Life" introduces some rap, which is a... questionable choice. No hate to Greek rap, but how well does it really work in this context? It's not all rap though, and elements of past songs are mixed in with the hip and the hop of Greece. It's still cool to hear some lyrics in Greek, rapped or not.

How could I have missed this? Most every track here is just so catchy and fun! I'm not meaning to downplay the death metal aspects of it all, but these riffs, vocals, and melodies are solid as hell. With Flamecore's small social media following and listener count, the production is quite good, and "Flamecore" one little nugget of Greek metal that needs to be widely discovered.