Bloody Hell, “Prologue” is a frightening intro, very disturbing. But that changes when the first full song “Equinox”. That’s when the main ingredient Heavy Metal is mixed with Doom parts and Progressive influences and it all starts to come to fruition, making what these Greeks from Athens produce sound very dark, compelling but also very Melodic. The latter is mainly down to the very feminine and clear voice of singer Maria Kanellaki. And although THIS I OWE have only been in existence for a year, they are able to write enough music to be able to construct them into songs and produce their debut album “Alchemists”, which clocks just over 47 minutes.

Let me take away any doubts; if you like Melodic Heavy Metal with some extra influences thrown in, you might just like what THIS I OWE is bringing on “Alchemists”. This album already was available to the public from 25 February 2025, but now WormHoleDeath have stepped in with their extensive network to help the band to gain international recognition. And I understand why the record company has done it, because I feel that there are a lot of people that will be able to enjoy the heavier songs, but also the quitter ones and the ballads that you will find here.

As for how good it all is, I am in two minds. I like what I hear and I get it when I hear what they are doing and in which direction THIS I OWE are going, but to me it feels like they are trying to keep their eggs in too many different baskets. They’re betting on more horses than I would have liked, making “Alchemists” an album that just doesn’t have what it takes. But as this is a debut album, I can comprehend why the band has chosen this route. The biggest danger they face according to me is that someone will really like the way the vocals are done and therefore try to coach away singer Maria Kanellaki. That would be a waste.

All my criticism might have you believe that I don’t like “Alchemists”. That’s not true, I just think that THIS I OWE have been too fast in releasing this album, causing it to sound too much like a compilation album instead of a well thought out debut album. Musically the band is sound, vocally impressive, but they need to think more about how they wish to sound and what message they wish to portray to the outside world.