Year: 2022
Total Time: 47.38
Label: No Remorse Records
Even though kind of late, I got my hands on this gem of Greek Epic Doom metal, the third full length album of Cretan DOOMOCRACY. From their first album “The End Is Written” they immediately made a good impression and not without reason. Fortunately they maintained the same and better momentum and in 2022 they released “Unorthodox”.
We are talking about a very well crafted album that I would consider it to be more Epic than Doom as the aesthetics that you get as you listen to the songs one by one is so theatrical, like a Metal opera that the epic element prevails. There is no lack of great guitars like in the heavy Metal “Novum Dogma” but embedded in an oriental context. The choral parts in “Our Will Be Done” or in “Prelude In The Apocalypse” make you imagine them performed live as part of a musical theatral piece. The narrative parts that creep in between the songs enhance this cinematic – theatrical (whatever you want to call it) feeling. Especially the trio “October 14th 1582”, “Unorthodox” and “Katharsis” is a story in itself. The story of Pope Gregory XIII who on October 14, 1582, which incidentally is the first day of the implementation of the new calendar (the so-called Gregorian calendar), decides to disown the Spiritualist mentioned in the song “The Spiritualist” and label him and his followers as heretics, blasphemers and heathen. In fact, “Unorthodox” closes to the sounds of smoldering fire alluding to the punishment that awaited the unbelievers. Until, of course, the catharsis comes for the persecuted who emit light from within.
All these feelings and images could not be created to the listeners if it wasn’t for the impeccable vocals of Michalis Stavrakakis with his characteristic voice and his excellent high notes. Of course, the rest of the musicians must take credit since they seem to blend harmoniously with the whole concept of the album. An important contribution to the final result were the guest musicians like Miguel Robaina on keyboards and flute on “Eternally Lost” or Mike Wead performing a great guitar solo on “Katharsis”, the choir and of course the narrators Clive Birch and Brian Healy.
The album is recommended for those who are fascinated by the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the Middle Ages where the church had a negative leading role. An atmosphere that DOOMOCRACY brilliantly conveys to us through this concept album of theirs.
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Kostas Boudoukos
Related Link: DOOMOCRACY – Official Page
