On the 20th of January 2024, Athens, Greece, was set to experience the might and the fury of three top-class Greek heavy metal bands, Nomos, Wildfire and Medusa’s Wrath. I am acquainted with all these bands, however, it was the first time for me to see them playing live in concert. I eagerly waited for the whole event, which would take place in a nice live stage, HolyWood, so, we arrived at the venue on time. The stage was ready for the musicians, as people started coming and taking their seat comfortably.
Without any delay, Nomos took the stage and kicked off the event, with positive energy, confidence and passion. They unleashed their heavy metal music and managed to warm-up the audience, giving a wonderful performance. I liked all the songs they chose to present us and we all had a great time with a very well-rehearsed band, which sounded tight, powerful and mature. For sure, making some covers (to Audioslave, Slipknot, Pantera etc) was a right decision, however, all the attendees showed that they really enjoyed Nomos own material. I am looking forward to listening to their album, which is in the works!
Then, the baton was given to a great band, which is already realizing amazing songs and giving astonishing live shows – Wildfire! The Greek heavy/power metallers had opened for the historic NWOBHM band Satan triumphantly, and you understand that I wanted to see them live very much. In a matter of minutes, Wildfire hit the stage and set HolyWood on fire! Their performance was super-exciting and without any exaggeration they took us by storm! They were relentless, really ferocious and merciless! That was a heavy/power metal onslaught, which hit us straight between the eyes! They performed their own songs, which proved to be wonderful, with catchy refrains, unbelievably soaring vocals and a stunning guitar work. This thunderous performance culminated with a cover to Savatage’s “Gutter Ballet”. What a blast!
After this incredible set, I wasn’t sure of what the last band of the billing would do. Yet, Medusa’s Wrath persuaded us with their remarkable presence that they are not just a band to be reckoned with, but a really formidable force. Medusa’s Wrath is a band that moves within the true/epic heavy metal genre, they are influenced by US metal bands and has really many things to offer to the contemporary traditional metal world. I was mainly impressed by the quality of their compositions and the storming performance of the Greek quintet – we listened to some older and some new songs of the band, and from what I understood their upcoming release will be … glorious! The show of Medusa’s Wrath included also stage acting – a zombie, Annabelle, made a small appearance during the same titled song! Epic!
With Medusa’s Wrath playing their last song, this night of pure heavy metal holocaust was splendidly concluded. We all left HolyWood with heavy metal sounds reverberating in our heads, thinking how much fun we all had with this exceptional bands! A miraculous metal evening!
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri
