By Monk
Taking its name from what is believed to have been an ancient Greek a psychoactive compounded brew, as used in the Eleusinian Mysteries, this album from Athenian trio Khirki mixes a heady concoction that blends doom metal with traditional Hellenic folk music, arena anthemics and classic rock vibes into a truly intoxicating aural cocktail that produces many flavours and a sense of exploratory sensitivity that will have even the most discerning palette wondering what it has just sampled.
With the band’s name itself inspired by the legendary Homeric sorceress Circe it should come as no surprise that they weave epic, mythical soundscapes that enrapture and entrance like spells cast in the shadows of Mount Olympus. Riffs cascade out of the speakers like the Aegean Sea crashing at its most volatile and resolute in its determination to break both the souls and spirits of the rocks against which it cascades, washing over you with irresistible force and resolution.
Like the sea from which the album draws its lyrical inspiration, ‘Κυκεώνας’ ebbs and flows inexorably and relentlessly. moments of deceptive calm beautifully counterpointed by and juxtaposed with those of pure unleashed fury, at the same time delivering unexpected twists and spirals which suck you deeper and deeper into the hypnotic embrace of this true force of nature.
- ‘Κυκεώνας‘ is released tomorrow (Friday 12 April).
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