Year: 2020
Total Time: 40:56
Label: Iron Bonehead Productions
“Adrasteia” was a secondary goddess, daughter of Zeus and Anagkis, or on another version of Zeus and Night. She was goddess of the human instinct of revenge. But now, concerned of this myth, we will talk about KAWIR’s eighth full-length album entitled “Adrasteia”. Introductions of course about who KAWIR are and for their long career in the pagan Black Metal scene of course are not needed. The last five years the band has been more active than ever before, with tons of live shows, quality releases and some represses of their first worksh which are always on demand. As a result of that, three full length albums have been released between 2016 and 2020 and KAWIR finally earned more recognition and respect outside of Greece with tours in Europe and South America, where they have a strong fan base…
If KAWIR’s album “Father Sun, Mother Moon” with folk/pagan elements was an epic figure and “Exilasmos” album with its aggressive Black Metal was the exercise of anger and frustration, then “Adrasteia” is the combination of those two, dipped still deeper into the mythical/mystical Greek Black Metal spirit. Ceremonial hymns, heroic emotion, aggression and melodies are the main characteristics of this album. The guitars have the leading role in this album and, in some parts, especially at the solos they present us their classical Heavy Metal influences. The band’s singer Porphyrion on this album has done a great job and, besides his Black Metal screams, we can hear psalms and clean vocals from Alexandros of MACABRE OMEN. Also, in the song “Danaides”, Ashmedi of MELECHESH has contributed with a great guitar solo.
The album ends in an impressive way with two great songs “Colchis” and “Medea”. “Colchis” is an instrumental track with female vocals by Lindy Faye Hella of WARDRUNA. This song is quite different for KAWIR’s usual sound, as it could have been easily found in one of WARDRUNA’s albums. Throughout this song there is an ancient mystical atmosphere and Lindy Faye Hella’ s enchanting voice travels us to ancient times, when Olympus’ forests were haunted by the Pierides muses. The song “Medea” is the last song of the album and its the best! It is an angry Black Metal hymn of eight and a half minutes length, with epic emotions spread within.
KAWIR, in “Adrasteia” combine ideally Black Metal and traditional/folk instruments with Greek lyrics influenced by ancient Greek mythology. It is impressive that, after so many years, KAWIR have the inspiration and the will to create great albums. I personally believe that “Adrasteia” is KAWIR’s best work since the awesome “Isotheos” of 2012.
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: KAWIR – Facebook Page
