Like yesterday I remember the presentation of the then new Achelous album at Remedy back in 2022. Back then “The Icewind Chronicles” had made a great impression on me with the progress the band had made on all levels. It was a beautiful evening for fans of the classic sound. So, with the announcement of their new album launch at the Temple I didn’t think twice about going or not.
Having been accompanied by the excellent “Tower Of High Sorcery” for the last few days, I headed down to Gazi where, as expected, I ran into many familiar faces. Quite a few people had gathered long before the doors opened which is always a good thing and for the whole gig the place was quite full! Certainly, Achelous have long had their own loyal fans following them to their gigs.
The night was opened by the German act Servants To The Tide who are also on the roster of No Remorse Records. The band presented compositions from their first, self-titled, album but also two compositions from the follow-up of this one which, according to them, will be released in the summer.
To tell the truth their debut album hadn’t sparked my interest and unfortunately their live performance also didn’t convince me. Their long doom tracks lack the melodies and structure to keep you engaged, like e.g. Atlantean Kodex do, and their guitar solos were very basic. Even the two new compositions didn’t tell me much. However, I will definitely give them a chance to win me over with their new album if it’s really worth it.
It was time for Achelous and the whole club was in battle position. Now with 3 very strong albums in their luggage the band can easily hold a headlining gig and they proved that in no uncertain terms!
Opening with a pleasant surprise as the band was joined by the female vocal duo that can be heard on the new album! So, the night started in the best possible way, with the mysterious “Whispering Forrest” and on top of that “Dragon Wings”. Since the concert was for the presentation of their new album, this one had the lion’s share of the lion’s share. We listened to the material live and what a treat that was! Compositions like the more epic “Istar” and “Fortress Of Sorrow” were amazing live. On the other hand, the more fast paced “The Oath” and “Into The Shadows”, with the one and only Tyrant in duet, relieved us of whatever salts we had in our necks.
Of course with two equally good albums it was impossible to miss the references to it. We listened to epics like “Face The Storm”, “The Crystal Shard”, “Gaugamela”… the live ended with “Flames Of War” and for a while I forgot my age with all that implies…
Did I want to hear more songs? Of course! Achelous are one of those bands that transmit their energy to the audience but at the end of the day I don’t think anyone left complaining. I think it is pointless to mention that Achelous now hold a place in the Champions League of epic metal and not only in our country.
Michael Ntalakos
Photos: Maria Melliou
