Hello Community, I shall start with wishing to everybody a Happy and especially Healthy New Year! After quite a long time that I did my last post, I'm here again to post the music items that I've received. So without stretching my introduction too much, let's jump into it.
I'll start with the newest vinyl records I've added to my collection. The first album is by the band Hypocrisy and their self titled album.
This album was originally released in 1999. I knew the band by its name alone and got to know this album some years back when me and a good friend went to a second hand shop where we both had some albums to sell to that shop. I remember that while browsing the albums in that shop and maybe find something interesting to buy, my friend suggested to me this album to get and indeed I got the cd version.
In October 2022 the band also appeared live in Athens. This was a stop while being on their European tour. Their appearance that night was accompanied by another big name (Septicflesh) who at the time also had their newly released album and which I'm going to present further down. I don't want to confuse anyone, I'm presenting this album from 1999 but when me and that same friend that I've mentioned saw them live, they also had their new album released. It's just that when I saw that this album was going to be re-released on vinyl I got very excited and couldn't miss the opportunity to order the limited edition. Like most times (not always) I'm recording some songs from bands' live appearances, you can watch if you want a song that I recorded and belongs to this album.
Next album on vinyl is from R.E.M. and it's under the title New Adventures In Hi-Fi originally released in 1996.
Again this is a reissue and got re-released for its 25th Anniversary as you can see on its front sticker.
My first contact with this band and this album must had been around the time it came out. I remember me and two other good friends were going to a big music store, back then music stores were still relevant, and we were listening to available newly released albums. I used to have another album on vinyl from them, but sold it some years back to make some money. Now I have this one which really is a favorite.
Moving on, I'm now going to present albums on compact discs.
First is the newest album from Aetherian and their latest album under the title At Storm's Edge.
I got to know this band almost from their very beginning. I have presented their previous works too and with this album they really have reached a high standard, it's their best so far. They hail from my home country and I'm looking forward for their next one to be as good as this if not better. The painting used for the cover is called 'Les Fleurs du Mal' and is the work of French artist Yoann Lossel. The signed postcard shown here was sent to me along with the cd from their label I ordered it. The opening track marks the idea of the whole album which in the band's words
In the age of abundance and ambition, where expendability is the norm, their hysterical consumption overshadows our utter destruction. From the fringes of society we will emerge, to bring about the downfall of their corruption.
Next in line is an older album from Amorphis under the title Tuonela which was originally released in 1999.
The album is named from Tuonela, the realm of the dead in Finnish mythology. The album also shares inspiration with many of the band's productions in the text and themes of the Kalevala, or Finnish Epic.
I got interested in this album after listening a couple of songs in here. Also I saw them live last November in a great appearance over here in Athens while on their European tour to promote their last released album.
Unfortunately they didn't play any song from this album, but that was ok, they played songs from an even older album and usually I'm trying to records songs from bands' live appearances, so I did records just one and you can watch it just below
I wanted to have this album as a digipak, although their label is still selling it in an ordinary jewel case. I got the album from a private seller in a great condition but he sent it to me without the album's booklet. I informed him about it and he was willing to send me the booklet on his own expense, but I thought it'd be better to order another item from him so he could put the booklet inside that package and so I also got the R.E.M vinyl record shown above. I want to also mention that after the end of the Amorphis live gig I bought a t-shirt from them shown just below
Moving on, the nest album comes from Elderwind and their album under the title The Colder the Night in English.
This album is the previous full length album from 2018.
The band hails from Ekaterinburg in Russia. I got to know the band from a good friend with whom we exchange views about music and bands. So I played the album and of course I liked it, but at the time I got interested to buy it it was sold out. If I remember correctly I could find a cassette tape version of it which is fine with me but I think I didn't want to spend the money for it, probably it was overpriced. After some time I also discovered vinyl version again being overpriced and then also discovered the cd version which too was overpriced, but thought to myself that if I was going to have it, the money asked was surely not getting any less, so I finally ordered it and got it. Probably the price got high since the cd has been self released.
Moving on, next album is from Anima Hereticae and their latest release so far under the title Descended from the Mountains.
I got to know them by following another band (who too have released their new album and I'm going to present next). I have presented this band's debut EP and this is their first full length. I have a strong interest in listening to their music but the first thing that mesmerized me is their cover and the colors.
I don't know why or how but I just loved it!
So the band I got to know the above band from has been Aeonian Sorrow. I had read a post from Greek Gogo Melone who has formed this band and is the female vocalist that their guitarist had formed a band of his own and so I got in touch with the above band in the first place.
Anyhow here we have the latest release under the title Katara.
The whole record is inspired by Katara pass, which is a mountain pass in the Pindus mountains in northern Greece. According to the legend, Katara got its name from a despot who around 1800 set out from Ioannina to go to Trikala but the bad weather in the area made it so difficult for him that he died on the way and he cursed the mountain.
The word katara is Greek and means curse. It's a noun.
As seen in the tracklist, the fist track named anemos it means wind and the seventh track has a Finnish track title and have no idea what it means :D
Probably we will see more Finnish track titles since if I'm not mistaken she's married to a Finnish man and lives in Finland.
Next album to present is from the band Hinayana and this is their latest release so far under the title Shatter And Fall.
This is the first release I have listened from this band and can't remember where and how exactly I came in touch with them, although I think that I had heard of them in the past. What I do remember is that I listened to a song from this album and loved it, so it made sense to me to also get the physical release.
Hīnayāna (हीनयान) is a Sanskrit term literally meaning the "smaller vehicle" or "lesser path" to enlightenment. According to the band, "it was chosen to represent the inner struggle and suffering one must conquer to find the truth in every aspect of life, nature, the esoteric, and the universe – seeing both the beautiful and not-so-beautiful sides of it all".
The band hails from Austin, Texas and before the change of the year they were on a European tour with two other bands but the tour didn't stop over here, I'll definitely try to catch them live whenever they do come.
Moving on we have On Thorns I Lay and their latest self titled album.
This is indeed their best offering in their long history and too hail from Greece. The band has been active since 1992 under a different name. They've changed styles, the band hasn't been playing the current style since the beginning.
Here they have a new vocalist who sounds a great addition, I did feel sorry for the previous vocalist having left, but the new one sounds like he's going to keep the band's flag high and maybe higher.
Unfortunately I missed the opportunity to see them live, I'll be there though in their next appearance in Athens.
Last cd album to present is the latest offering by Septicflesh under the title Modern primitive.
I've mentioned these guys and as I mentioned Hypocrisy seeing them live, so did I with Septicflesh that same night. The symphonic death metal they're playing is top quality and the symphonic parts are compositions of the band's guitarist Christos Antoniou himself and not some external work from somebody else. It goes without saying that in their live appearances the symphonic parts are pre recorded, they can't have a live orchestra every time and it also costs money.
Just like with Hypocrisy in the beginning I have recorded two songs from Septicflesh appearance which belong to their newest album and can be watched below
Although I've got some more albums to present I'll stop it here for now, thank you very much for visiting and take care of yourselves!