By now the Greek Metal scene has become worthy of attention of the audience from abroad. Many acts have signed to major labels, many Greek musicians participate in the lineups of known foreign acts etc. Still there are genres here in Greece that have failed miserably to spawn something remotely interesting. Even worse, there are genres almost completely untouched by the interest of Greek bands. One of these genres is this interesting hybrid of Doom and Power Metal.
Heathendom were formed in 1998. Following the Greek tradition, several lineup changes postponed any plans for recording since late 2004 / early 2005. Well, it took them a while but let me tell you: it was worth waiting. Their first Demo runs more than 30 minutes long and contains every single element that is needed for a band to be categorized as a professional act.
Heathendom base their music on Doom or Doom related speed. But they are not one of these acts that simply play ssssssssslllllllloooooooowwwwww. Heaven forbid. Their music is enriched with so many different elements that it is no wonder these lads don't need to follow furious rhythms to have the work done.
But it is so hard to describe their music with words. Can I bring a couple of bands for example? Ok, I choose Memory Garden and Memento Mori. Do you recall them? Yeah, they also play Doom but their music is so much more than that. Simply classifying them as Doom acts steals away a lot of their magic. And that's what Heathendom is all about: magic.
And I won't disagree: I may have overreacted a bit in this review. But when you've heard so many newcomers trying desperately to grab a piece of the pie from the currently trendy acts, it is always a blessing to stumble upon an act that follows such a special path. Is that a path that will lead them to death or glory? Time will tell...