Did not see this coming , and I like that .Manos Six and the Muddy Devil is really odd, and it works great. To make it a bit easier, I would say the genre is experimental rock, gothic country, spiced with some black metal. But there is more: when you take a banjo, slide guitar, acoustic bass , and a voice that takes us back to the 80s and late 90s gothic scene, you, as a listener, are in for something new. I thought this band was from the southern U.S., but they are from Greece. And be able to have such a great story telling going on, build up a dark sinister atmosphere, and make you feel that you are on an theater , where the Devil plays whit your mind is art. When Skies are Grey is an EP, out on June 6th of 2025. And if you have heard the full-length Swamp Suicide from 2022, I dare to say that this EP is darker.

Let's dive into it. "Sound of the Dead" is the first track , and I hear some bluegrass , and that violin in the background gives it a neo-folk touch. But when the song comes in , the goth is there... I think about bands like Bay Laurel and Sisters of Mercy. It has that same darkness. The backing vocals by Antonis Stivaktakis add alot . The next track, "When Skies are Grey (You Are My Sunshine)," is based upon the state song of Louisiana, "You Are My Sunshine." But this track by Manos Six and the Muddy Devil is a dark history , so much atmosphere , and the heavy distorted electric guitar by George Emmanuel, makes it dark and beauty full , if you you feel that you are in a good mood , turn on this track , it's like The Cure for that stuff:) no more happiness. The keyboard and the noise ...give this track an extra layer. "I’m not gonna turn my back on the Devil" has also that bluegrass sound, but once again the violin by Dimitris Kouzis, makes this to a darker history , sampled voices and and i guess a six string banjo makes this song mysterious. They have something occult over them all the time , a touch of Danzig in a way, but also Roky Erickson (R.I.P.). , a kind of horror rock bluegrass track , but that changes, and we are after a while in the track , in pure black metal inferno; it should not work , but it does. An amazing track.

The last track out is "The Last Turn (Chain Pleasure)." It could work as a tribute to all the Wrong Turn movies, and it has a story. It sounds like a sampled voice. A woman asks for a gas station...the music creates a dark, mysterious atmosphere. This EP is a surprise. If you have an open mind and like to listen to dark music, then this EP is something for you.