Truth be told here; Greece has never been famous for the quality and constant production of hard rock records. The reasons are many and not to be discussed for now. However, who can forget the excellent releases by Douglas, Raw Silk, Nok Aout, Silver R.I.S.C. and Trade Mark that left an indelible mark on the domestic scene! Since then, however, more than three decades have passed and the majority of the vast majority of the Greek hard rock albums have not managed to leave their mark…until today. With its debut album, Destiny Calls manage to do something that seemed almost impossible until recently: to release an album of European standards that takes a straight look at the once classic moments of the genre. It may sound exaggerated or pompous, but that’s the truth and it’s something obvious from the very first listening session.
The main asset of the album is the compositions themselves. Clear 80’s aesthetics that refers directly to Bonnie Tyler, Pat Benatar and Saraya and with the guitars of Spyros Fousekis bringing to mind the unique hair sensation of Warren DeMartini, John Sykes, Reb Beach etc. The not so secret (now) weapon of Destiny Calls is Aggeliki Rossolatou’s incredible, raspy voice that raises the high level of the song quality while Ethan Snow’s production is seminal. All the other members of Destiny Calls have poured their souls into the studio and their performance is flawless something that often decides a lot in a hard rock/AOR release.
Although the whole album contains only impressive compositions, I can’t help but praise the unique opening track “Better Days” which, if you think about it, easily reminds you of the Greek band Rififi with English lyrics, the mid-tempo “Lonely Days Lonely Nights”, the bombastic first single “Into The Night” and “Tonight” with the saxophone in a prominent position (as any AOR release that looks to the 80s and respects itself should have).
In a time full of problems and musical pessimism, Destiny Calls offer us the perfect time machine to go back 40 or so years, forgetting our problems for a while with the push of a button. Greece (and the world) really needs such releases and such bands. Congrats, guys!
Highlight: What an excellent cover artwork.
