Greek Prog: From Alpha To Omega

INTRAVENUS      A little bit of Jazzamatazz. Athenian band Intravenus  hovers somewhere in-between the two worlds of Jazz Fusion and Canterbury Scene music, so if you enjoy a profusion of Jazz Fusion,  this offbeat album deserves inclusion in your CD collection.  It's the most surprising discovery since finding out that Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis spent more money on his wives and mistresses dresses than he did on building ships.. The aptly-titled 10-minute opening track "Paradox Folk" is a fairly routine jazzy number which only hints at the wondrous epic to come. The third track "Sonic Servant" (hinting at a Hawkwind-style sonic attack)  turns out to be the biggest surprise of all, sounding remarkably like The Police in the opening few bars, but then merging into a psychedelic freak-out of Space Rock. And now for something completely different... The closing number and title-track, "Oiseau" (French for "Bird"), is a 28-minute-long flight of fancy which takes us on a Greek Odyssey of endlessly complex music with the occasional twittering  bird noises thrown in for good measure too. This is an album that bears repeated listening and in terms of a masterclass of exploration in the outer realms of Jazz, it's an epic triumph - although maybe not quite equaling the epic triumph of Socrates (the Brazilian midfielder, not the Greek philosopher) when he scored the winning goal in the 1982 World Cup. Yes, "Oiseau" is the Heineken of Jazz albums, reaching the parts that other Jazz albums fail to reach. In conclusion then, if you're in the mood to be drip-fed with a warm Mediterranean infusion of Jazz Fusion, then look no further than the bright shining star that is Intravenus - a Greek marvel to rival a temple of Greek marble! 

HIERONYMUS DREAM      Space Rock's coming home! Nostos is the dominant theme in Homer's Odyssey, where a Greek hero returns home from an epic journey, including battling in The Trojan War, being shipwrecked, and heroically dealing with various other trials and tribulations along the way. Nostos was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his day, dispatching his enemies with suitably heroic aplomb whilst no doubt delivering sardonic one-liners along the way, something along the lines of "Tha epistretso.", for the classical Greek scholars amongst us. Hieronymus Dream are an anonymous quintet of psychedelic shamans from Rhodes Island, the largest of the fifteen (not twelve) islands of the Greek Dodecanese - in stark contrast with the smallest US State of Rhode Island, which is not really an island at all. The name of the band draws obvious inspiration from Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, who's noted for his horrifying, nightmarish depictions of Hell - so not the kind of paintings you'd want to hang up on your bedroom wall. Hieronymus Dream's first EP "Clairvoyance" was predictably followed by their first full-length album: "Nostos" the album we have here. The intriguing album cover, featuring a dramatic image of a giant snail wrapped around the thin atmosphere of the Earth, gives some indication of the weird and wonderful music contained within, which incidentally, was released on the Weird Beard label - although you don't have to be a weirdy-beardy vegan type to enjoy the spaced-out, psychedelic grooves on this cosmic dream-ride though the final frontier of space. So stock up with dilithium crystals, set phasers to stun and prepare to energize, as the astounding sounds and amazing music of Hieronymus Dream take you on the best space trip around the universe since Hawkwind first went In Search of Space back in 1971 - and you don't even have to leave the comfort of your space-rocking chair. Oh, and don't worry, the hypnotic music of Hieronymus Dream is nothing like the sonic shock wave of Hawkwind's pounding and pulsating music. No, "Nossos" is more healing and soothing than an hour spent reclining in Dr. McCoy's sickbay, so  enjoy this pleasure cruise through the inner regions of the erogenous zones and just lie back and think of Greece.

YIANNIS GLEZOS     Raise a glass to Glezos! This marvellous album of stunning Athenian grace and beauty is cause for celebration. The Roses of Pieria has all the opulence and splendor of a glimmering Greek marble temple at sunset. It's an instrumental re-recording of the original album of lyrical ancient Greek poetry from seven years earlier in 2006, only sounding sooooo much better here than the original.  This is the greatest sequel since The Godfather Part II first hit our screens, but without an epic bloodbath at the end. If you go barmy over bouzoukis and have a passion for panduras, then you'll surely love the seven traditional Greek folk albums that preceded this one. All of the lyrics are in Yiannis Glazos' native Greek language, but that only adds to their Grecian charm - although It never did Demis Roussos' career any harm to sing in a "foreign" language, even when those foreign languages happened to be French and German. This strikingly beautiful album is the most authentic Greek experience I've had since fire station chief Nick  (don't call him "Zorba"!) Georgiadis  attended a Greek wedding in ITV's London's Burning series, where a smashing time was had by all with the crockery at the post-prandial knees-up during the reception. The Roses of Pieria is absolutely awash with cinematic Vangelis-inspired keyboard motifs and dazzling  guitar glissandos, combined with glorious sweeping strings and heavenly choirs. This towering Hellenic masterpiece of shimmering beauty is as close as you'll ever get to Heaven on Earth, and no, I'm not referring to the similarly-titled YES album. Glezos blazes a trail through the progosphere on Greek chariots of fire, and just when you think the album couldn't possibly get any better, along comes the rousing and  anthemic grand finale, "The Stars", where a huge choir sings along in unison, sending you soaring way up high into the stratosphere on an ecstatic wave of euphoria, and where you can almost touch the face of the Greek prog gods on Mount Olympus. In summary then, even if you're not generally a fan of Greek prog and you don't know your taramasalata from your moussaka, The Roses of Pieria has the kind of universal timeless appeal that will last for generations - just like the beautiful Acropolis of Athens. 

You're very welcome. I enjoyed it so much, I've listened to your marvellous album three times over now. I haven't even listened to most of Vangelis' albums that many times. 

YIORGOS FAKANAS      Yes, we have no Fakanas. There are three albums by Giorgos Fakanas listed on ProgArchives:- "Horizon" (1988), "Amorosa" (1991) & "Echoes" (2004), only the last of which is currently available on YouTube. In addition, there are four later Giorgos Fakanas albums, all of which can be found on YouTube, but none of which are listed here on PA, so inevitably "Echoes" is the only one of seven Fakanas albums currently available for review. Confused? Me too! "Echoes" takes us on a jaunty, jazzy journey around the ancient historic regions of Greece, namely:- Thrace; Epirus; Macedonia; Crete; Thessaly, Peloponnese; Sterea Ellada; Aegean; and the Dodecanese - which are presumably islands with twelve sides. There are many sides to Giorgos Fakanas too, with jazzy horns, sassy sax, vibrant vibraphones and delicate piano motifs in abundance, in combination with sweeping classical strings. Fakanas is best-known as a bass player (if he's known at all outside of his native Greece) but the bass playing is very understated here, so you won't hear any heavy storm and thunder bass riffing in the style of Chris Squire, meaning it's probably not going to awaken the passions of the slumbering Greek Prog Gods on Mount Olympus. After all, this is a jazz album - not a prog album. In conclusion then, if a profusion of Jazz Fusion puts you in a land of confusion, then "Echoes" may leave you in a state of disillusion, but on the other hand, if a jazzy infusion is good for your constitution, then this album may be the ideal solution - or is that just circumlocution?

ECHO TATTOO     An Alternative Rock band from Athens with echoes of Britpop. Echo Tattoo are no Blur or Oasis though. No, they're much better than that! 

DAEMONIA NYMPHE     Music and moussaka! Daemonia Nymphe (Latin for Demon Nymph) are an ethnic ensemble of players who sound as authentically Greek as an evening of fine dining and plate-smashing at a Greek restaurant. So what's on the menu tonight? This charming band of nymphs serve up appetizing morsels of dulcimers, pandouras, bouzoukis and Greek lyres, all wrapped together in a tasty pita bread of heavenly voices and tribal percussion instruments. This ethnic blend brings to mind delicate Incantations of Mike Oldfield's music, especially on his folklore-influenced fourth album. So if you're in the mood for a Bacchanalian feast of ethnic chanting, combined with the most authentic assemblage of Greek instruments you're ever likely to experience outside of Athens, then prepare for an enjoyable evening of caroling and carousing with the nymphs. They say that the devil has all the best tunes and Daemonia Nymphe are a devilishly fine band. They're the most exotic musical experience since neoclassical darkwave duo Dead Can Dance first twanged our heartstrings, so if you're a fan of Aussie duo Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, then you're surely going to love the sound of Daemonia Nymphe. "Tyrvasia" offers up a veritable feast of charming Greek folk with some of the finest ethnic music of pure beauty you'll ever hear within the realm of a dying sun. And if you're in an adventurous spirit, then you may like to try a marathon-run of all six of Daemonia Nymphe's albums, where you'll find their latest offering "Psychostasia" is the Olympic gold medallist in terms of excellence with performances as polished as Greek marble.