At the historic AN Club, a venue where, for decades, we have watched bands from the Greek scene make their first appearances and set out on their musical journeys, we gathered last Sunday to witness the continuation of this tradition. Three young Athens-based bands welcomed us there, ready to present their work and give us an idea of where the next generation of the underground is heading, particularly within the extreme metal scene. Judging by the circumstances, the event drew a fairly good turnout, with those who made it to the venue helping create a positive atmosphere.
by Tasos Bouhoutsos
photos by Tasos Bouhoutsos
The first band to take the stage, Standards Of Brutality, kicked off their set with confidence and plenty of energy, while their supporters in the audience were already on the same wavelength, responding with enthusiasm and movement from the very first moment. Another thing that immediately caught our attention was the members’ remarkably young age, which made an impressive contrast with the ease and confidence they displayed on stage. The band presented material from their only release so far, the EP “The Axe Is The Law”, following a thrash metal approach with a raw and direct sound, led by an unpolished yet clean vocal style. Their playing was quite tight, with a few imperfections that are perfectly understandable at this early stage, since the band was only formed in 2025. Natalia, the band’s frontwoman and guitarist, was excellent in her role, communicating with the audience in a meaningful and unassuming way, helping create a dynamic atmosphere and encouraging continuous audience participation. Among the highlights of their short set were the catchy title track and a well-chosen cover of “She Took An Axe”, from Flotsam And Jetsam’s debut album. Standards Of Brutality wrapped up their performance leaving a very positive impression, along with equally high expectations for what lies ahead.
Following the energetic atmosphere left behind by the opening act, Nekrolist took the stage without delay, clearly determined to raise the intensity further. Having started out just three years ago and already released several singles, they based their performance on their most extensive release to date, the EP “Fleshing The Trinity”. Also consisting of very young members, the band delivered an impressive performance, with a remarkably tight four-piece line-up that radiated confidence and showed just how well-rehearsed they were, as well as how clearly they understood what they wanted to achieve musically. Although their style is generally described as death/thrash metal, the sheer force of their performance, the powerful and massive sound and the frequent addition of a second set of brutal vocals from their guitarist, complementing the main vocal duties handled by their frontman and bassist Odysseas, created an overall impression of crushing death metal. This was not simply about speed and blast beats, but also included some mid-tempo passages that gave their material additional weight. Their drummer’s relentless and incredibly forceful playing further reinforced this impression, combining power with remarkable stability. The audience, which had by then grown noticeably in numbers, responded in the best possible way, with moshing and headbanging, returning the energy that the band was putting out. As their set approached its conclusion, it was clear that they had won everyone over, from the younger audience members to the older fans in attendance, with a performance that came remarkably close to being professional in every aspect. We are looking forward to their next step, potentially a full-length album that will establish their worth and give a more definitive stamp to their very promising development.
The third and final band of the night, Sacrificial Death, were the oldest-formed group on the bill, although still relatively new themselves. Their discography includes their first full-length album, “Absolute Catharsis”, released earlier this year. The four-piece started their set with plenty of force and momentum. Their music follows a fairly contemporary thrash/death metal approach, with fast playing and some mid-tempo passages that kept the energy levels high. Unfortunately, the overall sound did not allow their material to come across with the clarity it needed. Although the volume was high, there was not enough definition to make the individual elements of the songs stand out, which made it difficult for anyone unfamiliar with their music to follow the songs and get a clear picture of their style. Nevertheless, drawing mainly from their album and encouraged by the positive response from the audience, they kept their set moving with determination. Things became even more complicated when the bass suddenly became inaudible, leaving the band to carry on for approximately two songs under these conditions, apparently because time constraints did not allow for a longer interruption. The issue eventually led to a change of instrument, with Odysseas of Nekrolist stepping in and offering his own bass so that the performance could continue. The whole episode inevitably took up valuable time and, along with the difficulties already affecting the sound, seemed to take some of the band’s drive away. A cover of Behemoth’s “Christians To The Lions” offered a glimpse of their influences extending beyond a narrowly defined approach. Despite everything, they completed their set with the audience’s warm support. It was clear that Sacrificial Death had plenty of enthusiasm and motivation to present their material live, and it was unfortunate that the overall circumstances did not allow their performance to come across as effectively as it could have. There were probably several factors that affected the outcome so we certainly look forward to seeing them again in a setting that will do greater justice to what they have to offer musically.
As the night came to an end, it was hard not to recognise the many positive aspects of the event. The audience, made up predominantly of younger fans, was there with the right attitude, supporting all three bands with energy and genuine positivity. Perhaps the only thing one could have wished for was a stronger turnout among older fans of the genre. After all, the performances of these three bands confirmed that the Greek underground scene is in excellent health, with a new generation ready to carry its creative spirit and tradition forward. Another notable aspect was the timeless quality of the atmosphere throughout the night, as well as the excellent attitude shown by the bands, both on and off stage. There was a sense of warmth, enthusiasm and genuine love for this music, which, despite the passage of time and the rapid changes around us, continues to hold a place in the lives and hearts of younger fans. With these thoughts in mind, we look forward to more events of this kind, as they are vital to the renewal that keeps metal creativity and tradition alive and moving forward. See you at the next one!
