Saturday evening, mild winter weather in the heart of Athens, and honestly there aren’t many better ways to spend it than catching a local gig. Three local bands on the bill, each coming from a different place of heavy music, made this one interesting right from the start. The real “heart” of the night, though, was the occasion itself. Passengers In Panic were presenting their new album “Amnesia”, celebrating its recent release. A gathering of friends, bands and familiar faces, this was one of those nights that felt more than tempting – it felt necessary to be there.
by Tasos Bouhoutsos
photos by Aphrodite Lytra
Novelty hit the stage first, bringing confidence and plenty of energy straight away. The venue was already filling up, and the crowd responded almost immediately, keeping the momentum going throughout their set. Despite the narrow stage, they made the most of it and came across focused and genuinely excited to be there. Still relatively new to the scene, they presented mostly unreleased material along with their new single “Darkest Days”. Their Architects/Polaris/While She Sleeps – influenced sound might not be for everyone, but they played with conviction and managed to hold people’s attention, clearly earning some new listeners along the way. Definitely more than just a warm-up, effectivelly set things up for the rest of the night.
Dead South Dealers followed and wasted no time once they stepped on stage. Any earlier delays were quickly forgotten as they launched into a high-voltage set, clearly determined to deliver. Their American-flavored heavy/hard rock sound, drawing from bands like Godsmack and Black Stone Cherry, came through loud and direct, doing exactly what it was supposed to do: get people moving and lift the mood. Frontman Andre Boutos was fully charged, backed by a tight and experienced instrumental team that looked naturally comfortable and confident throughout the set, all together having a blast on stage, sending the vibes around. Pulling songs from both of their full-length albums, they delivered a performance that felt fun, energetic and straight to the point. By the time they wrapped things up, the atmosphere in the room was nothing but positive and most of the crowd clearly fired up for what was coming next.
Then hour has come for the hosts of the night, Passengers In Panic. They opened with “2321”, stepping on stage determined to make this show count. Unfortunately, the sound wasn’t really on their side from the beginning, and that didn’t always help their diverse and layered style come through the way it should. Still, there was a clear sense that this night meant a lot to them. Vocalist Yohanna announced that a few surprises were planned later in the set, with guest musicians and friends joining on stage, including Yiannis Manopoulos on bass and Thodoris Papadopoulos on bouzouki. Their first half of their set leaned heavily on material from “Amnesia” while also including their familiar cover of the traditional Pontic song “Tsampasin”. As the show went on, older and newer tracks blended together, and the addition of a fifth guest member on stage introduced covers of newer folk and rebetiko songs. Hearing the bouzouki alongside heavy guitars and drums was a bold move – challenging at times – but for the most part exciting and interesting to watch unfold live. “The Stain” closed the set, with the band clearly happy about the crowd’s response. Still, I sensed the overall feeling was somewhat mixed in a way. Their creativity and abilities are undeniable, but the performance didn’t always feel as tight as it could have been, with vocals occasionally sounding off. Given how experimental their sound already is, a more solid and focused approach and execution could help everything come together more naturally and reveal a musical value that’s waiting to be “shaped”. There’s no doubt they have many strong elements, and I’m more than confident that with a little experience and hard work the best is yet to come.
Another local gig came to an end, leaving behind that familiar sense of sweet fulfillment you get after spending a night in a small venue, watching underground bands give everything they have. Different sounds, moods and dynamics, all driven by a shared love for heavy music and a strong sense of community. We thank the bands for the experience and for confirming that we have more great things to expect from the scene. Already looking forward to the next one. Until then.
