January 2025 ended in the best way and at the same time an informal circle with Sirius was closed for me as after the presentation of the album and the interview we did together it was time to listen to the album live. In a hellish three days of concerts the three Athenian bands gave their best for the people who honored them with their presence.
Let me start with the fact that the program was observed with religious reverence. The doors opened at eight o’clock and 30 minutes later Primal Roots were the first to take the stage. The band came out with a new line-up as they now play with one guitarist and have a new drummer in their ranks. But these changes seemed to work to the benefit of the band.
In the time that I had at their disposal they presented us their brand-new song from their official releases as well as the well-known cover of Evridiki’s “How little you know me” in English. Fronted by their vocalist Rachel Cassar and their unique style, a mixture of doom, alternative and modern metal warmed up the audience and deservedly won the applause. The band is looking to play outside of Athens in the near future so friends in the province check them out when they do.
Second band was Dreamlord, who I saw last year or the year before at An Club. They told us back then that they have their new album ready and now they told us the same. What’s going to happen, you guys? People are waiting for it!
Their thrash metal was a perfect change in the sound of the night and although I was ready for some serious ass kicking in the end the audience was calm and descent. Dreamlord are old school and it shows on stage. It may have been… 30 years since their salutary year of formation yet they still sound very fresh.
So the tracks of their only album titled “Disciples Of War” are known to everyone since 2019, yes it’s been six years since that release, but they are still a guarantee for loud banging. As expected, the band also gave us a sample of writing from their new album which here it is now just around the corner and coming. Hallelujah for patience, I believe their upcoming release will be very strong.
It was time for the headliners of the night though. I may have seen Sirius before in the recent past but this would be the first time I’d heard much of the new material performed live.
And so it was. The lion’s share was taken by “A Quest For Life”, an album that should not be missing from the collection of a US metal fan. And they with a renewed line-up as they now have a new guitarist in their ranks who even had a birthday on the night of the show. Completely by chance there was a cake for him. Enjoy!
The songs of “A Quest For Life” got new life on stage. Besides, the sound of the band is clearly oriented towards more live situations. They didn’t forget their debut EP “Wings Of Fire” from 2017 and as a present they also gave us two covers. One was “Thor (The Powerhead” by Manowar while the other, which was a surprise for me, was “Rebellion In Dreamland” by Gamma Ray in a more “grainy” version much closer to Sirius’ sound.
Fronted by vocalist/lead guitarist Dimitris Napas and the drum kit by the name of Nikos Samios (half of the Greek scene) to my eyes and ears they sounded even tighter. The sound was on their side, the sound was very good in all three acts, and the response from the audience was quite enthusiastic.
The night ended in a celebratory way, and I believe that everyone who left the club after the end had only the best to say. A remarkable attendance considering how many gigs we have these days. In the end the sign I put on all three bands is positive. We had a good time and that’s what counts.
Michael Ntalakos
