The arrival of Godiva in our country was a major moment for the Greek metal community, and it quickly became clear that their Athens live show was an experience no one should have missed. I say this based on how Godiva performed at Temple — a breathtakingly strong performance, far beyond what I expected. But let’s take a look at what actually went down that Saturday night in Gazi, Athens.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Before Godiva took the stage, two Greek bands were scheduled to perform — Sinistrous Mist and Eons Aura, both of which I had never seen live before. I wasn’t familiar with Sinistrous Mist at all, but I did know about Eons Aura, mainly as the new project of former Nightfall guitarist Michalis Galiatsos.
Either way, I was really looking forward to seeing both support acts, and they definitely made sure to warm things up and get us ready for the main event.
Shortly before Sinistrous Mist began, only a small number of people had arrived at Temple. The Greek black metallers stepped onto the stage and immediately plunged into their icy, atmospheric black metal sound. And I liked them quite a lot — their songs were intriguing and well-crafted, they played with passion and emotion, and it was obvious they’ve put in serious work at every level, down to the smallest detail.
The grandeur of their music was further amplified by the contribution of their keyboardist, and I appreciated how committed they were to their art. They may not have reinvented the wheel, but their majestic take on black metal will certainly appeal to fans of the genre. I’m confident that before long we’ll be hearing something truly exceptional from Sinistrous Mist.
It was time for Eons Aura to take over. The four musicians assumed their positions on stage — by then the crowd had grown a little larger — and the show began. What I saw and heard was decent, but nothing more than that. Their sound was average, and their playing came across as muddy, rough around the edges, rather messy and overly noisy.
Even though Michalis Galiatsos was the main point of focus and drew plenty of attention, and even though some familiar Nightfall songs were performed, the set didn’t satisfy me as much as I had hoped. For part of the performance, the band’s frontman was holding an inverted cross — something that personally threw me off, as it felt out of place to me, considering that such gestures are often perceived by many here as disrespectful toward the country’s officially recognized religion under the Constitution.
That said, the audience seemed to really enjoy Eons Aura and had a great time with their thrash/death/black metal attack. The band clearly fed off that energy, ultimately leaving the stage smiling.
After the two Greek bands, Godiva stepped onto the stage at Temple, greeted by cheers and warm applause from the crowd. Let’s be honest — Godiva may not have a particularly large fanbase in Greece, but quite a few were there eager to witness the Portuguese band live for the first time. And they were rewarded for it, because Godiva delivered an outstanding performance that left everyone impressed.
With a strong, clear sound, they came across as fierce, fluid and incredibly tight as a unit. They played with great spirit, massive passion, flawless technical precision and an intensely energetic stage presence. This powerful blend of skill, emotion and showmanship thrilled the audience, who were completely captivated from start to finish.
Performing songs from every era of their career, the quartet tore through everything with unstoppable momentum — each member brought their own personal style and character to the stage, mesmerizing the audience like actors in a theatrical production. We were drawn into Godiva’s universe, lived their experience and ultimately bowed to the refined, sophisticated force of their blackened death metal sound.
It’s certain that Godiva gained many new fans that night — myself included! I also loved the fact that all four musicians radiated such positive energy, regardless of their role in the band. You could tell they were genuinely happy — not least because it was their very first show in Greece, a moment they clearly embraced with pure excitement and joy.
After Godiva’s show, we left Temple in high spirits. It was a major metal moment — one that will stay etched in our memories for a long time. Now I’m off to dive into Godiva’s discography, starting with their latest album, “Hubris” (2023)!
