This is the return of the Greek metal band Sarissa after almost 12 years of silence. The band that released its debut (and one of my all time favorite albums) in 1994, has just released its 3rd one in its 30 years of existence. I tried to avoid the contact with any samples prior to the release as well as comments from friends and acquaintances because I wanted to have a proper contact with the material before extracting my own conclusions. Their Athenian gig betrayed most of the songs but I still managed to avoid any hasty conclusions before Nemesis got its spins in my cd player. The first contact left me with mixed feelings. I spent the first listen trying to adapt and separate Nemesis from the past and the old Sarissa sound that I adore. Expecting something similar after 22 years though, would be an illusion. After all Masters of Sins was an indication towards a different musical direction. After the first few spins, the Nemesis material started to resonate. Simpler and more direct songs and a diminished epic atmosphere compared to the previous works. The result is very close to the recent Accept material, direct metal filled with classic heavy elements but with a contemporary sound. The duration that doesn’t exceed the 40 minute mark and the directness eventually lead to consecutive spins even without the presence of any truly great songs. A positive sign for the return of this great band since the result was eventually better than expected!
