Randomwalk @ Lost Dogs Thessaloniki

\r\nNext to the Navarino square, into a Neoclassical building, a live metal show was about to begin. A show that  that the participated bands  where from Heraklion, Athens and Xanthi. That night was a tribute to extreme metal music. The show started around 22:45, and Industry Of Nightmares got themselves on stage. Read below to know what happened.
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\r\nIndustry Of Nightmares\r\n

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\r\nIndustry Of Nightmares is from Heraklion, Crete and their composition are influenced by gothic, doom, black genres mainly. However, the violin (Acheron) and the keys (Nephelim), the virtuosic skills and knowledge of the progressive metal genre that  Hydrael (lead guitar) has and the heavy demolition riffs of Doomlord (rythm guitar), make the compositions even more symphonic and diverse.  Also the band’s vocalist on stage are on always on a "dialogue mode", like Theatre Of Tragedy in their first two albums. Finally, their clothes fit the gothic dressing style perfectly, like actors to a theatrical show.
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\r\nThis time the band composes the songs for their first demo, and so far, has five songs ready for recording. I want to emphasise that the band is 8 months old, and for the time being active have achieved too much. Apart from the five tracks already, they played a lot of times in Heraklion and this was their first live in Thessaloniki.
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\r\nBut let us see what happened in detail ...
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\r\nThe lights were in a low intensity, the place was embraced by the dark and gothic melodies. Magnificent and impressive the introduction that made me thrill and waiting for what was about to follow. And the redemption came with the first track, the "Shades Of A Broken Glass".
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\r\nThe track’s into is an atmospheric slow paced, and Zahir’s brutal vocals  predispose us that the band came to Thessaloniki in order to make us remember them, and they made it. Also, the sweet voice of Shade Of Sorrow, is the appropriate match for the theatrical dialogues of the songs concept. Shortly before the middle of the track there was the virtuoso solo by Hydrael. After that the track continued according to the gothic, doom influences while once more Zahir’s vocals made the black metal genre present.
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\r\nThe band is paying a lot of attention to the songs intros, since the introduction of "Selena’s Nightmare" was actually like a film score. I would like to make a special reference to the marching drums and to the male filtered vocals, where the voice seemed to come out from an analog medium, and the sudden tune change that lead to the song’s verse. Once again there is a «dialogue» between the vocalists and theatrical movements by them accompany their singing. The track is faster paced that the previous one and the crowd had already started to participate.
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\r\nThe next track was a cover. The "Roads" of Portishead. The band made the song sound like it was theirs. Shade of Sorrow’s is perfecty suitable for the song, and she sang it wonderfully. The violin and keys lead the music and transformed it into a gothic - doom track that didn’t sound the same at all like the original. Also the amazing tapped solo of Hydrael was one more feature that made the song look like it was theirs.
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\r\n"Sole Savior" song was next in line. A song that surprises you, cause while you listen to loose melodies suddenly you face an aggression, as much as necessary though. The melody is simple, but a catchy one that sticks in your mind .. . At that time the audience was enchanced by the "fairytale" that Industry Of Nightmares narrated
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\r\nThe last two tracks are new, the "The choice that made us bleed" and "Psycho Circus". While the first was not gothic, but rather a death metal ballad that reminded me, even slightly, Opeth, but when I listened to the second one, that is based on Doomlor’s musical ideas, I thought I was in a dark haunted abandoned circus, where at any moment, a serial killer clown would appear from nowhere.
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\r\nIn conclusion, Industry Of Nightmares impressed the audience and caused the best impressions with their compositions and performance. They proved to be a promising band, with a bright feature. Time will tell.
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\r\nFor more information http://www.myspace.com/industryofnightmares
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\r\nSetlist
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\r\n1. Shades Of A Broken Glass
\r\n2. Selena’s Nightmare
\r\n3. Roads (Portishead cover)
\r\n4. Sole Savior
\r\n5. The Choice That Made Us Bleed
\r\n6. Psycho Circus
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\r\nTurris Spectrum
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\r\nTurris Spectrum is a black metal band from Xanthi that was founded in 2003. In the same year’s winter they released the demo "Perfect hell", while in 2004 they released the homonymous demo and the promo "Frozen Throne". In 2007 the band released another promo, the "Embrace The Darkness", and in 2008 they released their first full length album named "Fiends Unleashed" by Infest Producciones.
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\r\nThe melodic black metal compositions carried away the audience, who head banged a lot, while their stage perfomance and their dressing were perfectly accordant to the black metal culture. The compositions reminded me Dimmu Borgir very much, but with out those irritating blast drums that make your ears explode. The drums to their songs are blasting but in a perfect way, cause they are just doing what they have to do and nothing more. The keys sounded really melodic, perfectly balanced with the extreme metal tunes. Also I would like to add the wild passion of their stage performance, as well the nice front man’s vocals and guitarist Astaroth’s vocals .
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\r\nIn conclusion, I may not be of black metal fan, I can say that very the band did their job like perfect pros. That night was the first time I watched the band and on one hand I felt proud that Greece has good metal bands made up by young people, and on the other hand I am frustrated cause the greek media don’t support the metal bands. I wish them the best.\r\n

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\r\nFor more information http://www.myspace.com/turrisspectrum \r\n

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\r\nRandomwalk\r\n

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\r\n\r\nI do not know if it is necessary to introduce Randomwalk to you , but I will do it  in order to keep thing in order. Randomwalk were founded in Athens in 2005 and it is a hardcore - gothic band. They released an album in February 2008, "Redemption", which has received really good reviews and they are already working on their second album. They also have a video clip, in which they "visualised" the "Faces Down". Their stage performance is a real dark show that deserves to watch it. But let us see what happened in their first time in Thessaloniki.
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\r\nThey started with "My Eyes", and from the start they proved that the rumours for their impressive shows are all true. Aggressive but effective at the same time, while Jean Baptiste sang clear and loud like his voice came out of the album. They set the standards really high on every aspect and they surpassed them all. Also the audience participation was great with a lot of headbangings. If the place was bigger we would mosh pit also. Beside all that, the band sang almost the entire album, turning Lost Dogs into a small inferno. \r\n

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\r\nAlso they sang two new songs from their second album, which is in progress. I would like to add that those two tracks, the "The Maker’s Way" and "Promises", which are amazing compositions with heavy, powerful riffs that if I could use an adjective to describe them, I would say that they are «flattening» . The first taste from those two tracks made me think how the next album is going to be.
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\r\nIn conclusion, Randomwalk caused a really nice chaos, with the audience as a partner in crime. The band deserves more and by have proved it a lot of times, not only tonight but in the past also. I wish the best for them, and hope to see them is Thessaloniki again.
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\r\nFor more information http://www.myspace.com/randomwalkband, http://www.randomwalk1.com/
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\r\nSetlist
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\r\n1. My Eyes
\r\n2. Third Scream
\r\n3. PS
\r\n4. Mr Gray
\r\n5. Facades
\r\n6. Deep Down
\r\n7. Blood Beneath You Winds
\r\n8. Faces Down
\r\n9. The Maker’s Way (new job)
\r\n10. Promises (new job)
\r\n11. One wish
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\r\nΚostas Grevenitis\r\n