WASH OF SOUNDS is a Greek Hard Rock band that fuses elements from Classic Heavy Metal and Middle Eastern sonorities to build a peculiar, atmospheric sound. It is a band with a lot of personality, even when they take influences from 1970s and 1980s heavy Rock music. "Heaven's Crying" is their debut album, but this band certainly possess an old spirit, filled with young energy.

Opener "For Real" takes little-to-no time introducing the listener into the mysterious soundscapes of Wash of Sounds. The album gets started with some sweet, intriguing wailing from Nairouz Elthini atop tribal drumming and exotic sounding instrumentation. Things get heavier a little under the minute. DEEP PURPLE, as filtered through late-era OPETH, comes to mind a couple of times. It is an anthemic, powerful track to kick the record, with a catchy chorus.

A deep bassline carries the amazing duet "The Fall". Theatrical male vocals collide with the powerhouse that is Elthini's voice. The influences seem more modern here, but the energy remains unchanged. A melancholic feel crawls beneath this emotional track. As a stark contrast, "Fight" is pure Hard Rock shine. Bluesy, LED ZEPPELIN-esque riffing fill the blanks between verses and choruses. The vocal layering is outstanding, providing a rush of bright adrenaline.

"Dead End" is one the album's ballads. Lovely acoustic guitar and military march drumming keep this beautiful track going. Deeply nostalgic. Wash of Sounds seems to allow themselves to get vulnerable in the best of ways. There is still that same power underneath, slipping through the cracks. Effect-heavy guitars are used as texture, perfectly layered to build a wall of sound, always constant. Kostas Mauros delivers the most emotionally-heavy guitar solo of the record.

Things get groovier and more menacing with "Get Lost". Elthini takes on an aggressive vocal delivery, snarky and more tongue-in-cheek, reminiscent in spirit if not sound of Joan Jett. This assertiveness gets carried on into the catchy "Saddest Truth", the most Pop-oriented track on the album. Elthini gets on an almost rapping flow at points.

Folk influences creep into "Blackness", especially in the intro riff, one that gets repeated several times. Tempo changes a couple of times, and the band gets busy on its heavy Blues outbreaks. It is a highlight for drummer Foivos Andriopoulos who keeps things tied together with his mad skills behind the kit.

Both the single "Hit the Ground" and closer "Heaven's Crying" are slow burners, with some Grunge influences in the sound, especially reminiscent of ALICE IN CHAINS. The former features some bass-driven, soft sections, which contrast with its powerful, hard-hitting chorus. It is an exercise on build-up and release. The title track, longest track and closer, feels quite cinematic with its war sound samples, melodramatic strings and METALLICA-esque drumming. It ends almost abruptly, leaving you a bit emotionally drained.

Wash of Sounds lives up to its name on this strong debut. "Heaven's Crying" features some solid and creative songwriting, strong Pop sensibilities and a warm, almost flawless production (it does get a bit noisy at points, but nothing too harsh). Each member of the band gets to shine in one way or another, never overshadowing the others. The chemistry between them is audible.