KHIRKI are a Greek heavy rock trio, who formed at least few years ago and their debut album Κτηνωδία which came out in 2021, certainly gave a good impression of what this band is all about when it comes to showing off their heavy rock ‘n’ roll style of playing. The album itself was inspired by the sorceress CIRCE from HOMER’S ODYSSEY which of course was a legendary tale from the year 800 B.C.E, the album itself I can safely say lives up to its expectations, a great variety of tracks sounding so unique and different, it's not always in your face. There is definitely an influence of Greek folklore to the sound also so it is a positive impact on their music, that the band have not forgotten their roots and where they came from.

The band themselves are led by vocalist/guitarist DIMOS IOANNOU singing those high notes, then we have bassist ORESTES KATSAROS who really provides the warmth and tone to the band, last but not least is drummer ORESTES MAVROS. So that’s the lineup, we can now go back to what is most important is their music, three singles were released off their debut album and now they have their second album, of which two singles have been released already, the album is titled Κ​υ​κ​ε​ώ​ν​α​ς. As of April this year, the album has been available to listen to and it can be said that KHIRKI “manage to maintain their signature fusion of exhilarating rock 'n' roll with the allure of seductive Greek Folk, while also deepening and broadening their sonic palette”.

This goes on to say about their second album that “the mythological lore accompanied by traditional instrumentation, the unpredictable orchestration featuring proggy twists, the inviting choruses complementing the bass-heavy exotic beats, the invigorating 70rs rock breath and the addictively powerful metal riffs, have all been meticulously prepared into an intoxicating potion”. So without further delay, let’s go straight into this sophomore album as we start with the intro track “Featherless” as we hear fast cunning drum hits and slashing guitar riffs, slicing through as well as vocals which do come in a little later on in the track. Drums become heavier and crispy, vocals become louder gradually, as the guitar shows what they are capable of which is pure melodic yet thick riffs being played, there is even an instrumental section for our entertainment.

“Pumping The Vein” comes up next as we hear groovy drum hits and guitar hooks that are quick firing full of distortion as the full band kicks in after the intro section so that vocals can also come in. Vocals are so catchy and have a great sense of rhythm too so the lyrics are certainly well written and arranged, even the guitar riffs are well coordinated and the drums do well to adjust to the dynamic of each section of this track. A few drum fills and some solo guitar riffs in there as we hear each instrument individually, so into the next track we go which is “The Watchers Of Enoch”. Guitar introduces this track before the other instruments come rolling in and providing a hard rock style with bass guitar coming to the spotlight where vocals join them in the verse, guitar becomes heavier throughout the next section.

A drum solo part with high end pitch squeaks from guitar really brings out the best of the band in this instrumental section before vocals come back in. After this it’s smooth sailing and then a percussion section comes in with drums as well as acoustic guitar picking strings along the way, then a sudden increase in volume with the whole band, lead guitar has another chance for some solo playing. Bass guitar and lead guitar have a section for them to work collectively, which fits so well, vocal lyrics are spoken loudly, into the next track we go anyway which is “Συμπληγάδες”. We hear more guitar picking and drums rolling around the audio space, as the intro allows drums to build the crescendo as well as creating a more atmospheric feel to this track.

Drums quieten down again, with rolls and vocals then join in smoothly as the track is still relatively soft in volume, but drums and lead guitar begins to bring the overall volume up when the time is right as vocals sing angelically with so much brightness. This is such a good track for drums and vocals to work in unison, guitar certainly has its moments also for some solo playing but still plays a vital role in this track as we come to the closing section which picks up the pace, drums pulsate more and more. Vocals have their say and there are bursts of musicality and sensational guitar riffs with drums too, so onto the next track which is “Your Majesty”.

This fifth track has such high pitch guitar playing, a riff revolving around in a circle around drums as they also play, then straight into the full unison with bass guitar and vocals joining in. The tempo is somewhat a bit faster but not over excessive, just the right pace for drums and vocals to jump on for a rollercoaster ride, drums does command one or two transitions or fillers in this track such creativity is present here. Those high end guitar riffs come back again briefly before another tight and quicker tempo is set before it all slows down once more for a traditional instrument to come in, maybe a woodwind instrument. “Father Wind” is next up with some quiet guitar picking again as we heard before in a previous track, with some melodic singing from vocals also.

The sixth track as we hear subtle guitar and vocals already, they shine so brightly and there is certainly a more traditional approach here even some other instruments or sounds coming in along the way. Then suddenly a big burst of drums and guitars came kicking down the door of this track all quiet, which was so nice, but it’s back to business now with the hard rock ‘n’ roll guitar as well as drums coming back into the mix. Lead guitar showing us what they have been doing and drums pulsating once more until the end of the track. But this is leading now right into the next track which is “Heart Of Sea” as a gradual crescendo builds again before those lightening drums come firing in quicker than a blink of an eye.

Faster and denser drums really add the lower frequencies in there as the band can really stand out with this as their advantage. But the tempo then slows down eventually when guitar and vocals are playing simultaneously, with drums playing a quarter note pattern emphasising the tempo of this track which is well arranged. Vocals then cue in the drums for more quicker paced patterns, as guitar has its moments to shine through and play some very tasty riffs, drums are very flexible as to when to play slower or faster, signs of a very skillful drummer indeed. Even bass guitar gets a short section with quiet drums and subtle lead guitar, before another implosion of the hard rock attitude the band knows so well.

“Hekate” is the final track as we hear cymbals crashing with drum hits, as well as very low end guitars, bass guitar seems to drive this opening section before lead guitar takes command of the next section as vocals do join in for this final track. The tempo slows down for a short time before picking the pace up again as drums and guitar fill the transition for when vocals return, this track is certainly full of improvisation. But perhaps this is why this band is so talented and achieve the highest level of delivering the best in rock ‘n’ roll music, the dynamics as well as the contrast of the sections in this track is very well orchestrated. The album finishes on a high, so overall a very cool album that has everything to offer, I would definitely recommend these guys for anyone into hard rock, they kick ass haha.