AN Club, Athens, Greece 16.12.2016
Well, it is BACK FROM THE DEAD indeed! A festival arrranged by the old school post hardcore punk band ONE BLOCK SOCIETY, alongside HEAVIER THAN GOD, EDEN DEMISE and SADHUS.
It’s quite touching seeing good old friends, gathering in one event. This concert is not just a meeting of an old school hardcore/punk/sludge/doom scene. We all know each other for a long long time, we are like a family. We have drunk a lot of beers together in the past and tonight we gathered to enjoy some good music. At the same time, I was the host of the event as a dj and my friend Cenobite (Gold award winning producer, 1st place winner of Istandard Philadelphia Showcase 2015) was holding my back (our beers).
The concert started at 22:05 with HEAVIER THAN GOD (Jim P: guitarist & also member of DEAR DARKSTAR, SKINDREAD & DEVILWORX, the drummer Costas and also member of LORD 13 & ex-MAHAKALA, Nikos K: bassist and also member of DEAR DARKSTAR and the vocalist Zak: also member of ONE BLOCK SOCIETY) and the venue is almost full. I didn’t expect to listen nothing less than an aggressive band crushing the stage with the heavy riffs from the bottom of hell. Zak with the golden voice and great act performed “Icons Of The Superstition” better than the album. They played eight songs non-stop including “Doomed & Confused”, “Satan’s Grip”, “Kiss The Monkey” from their self-titled album (2015) and left the stage like gentlemen leaving us breathless.
After the great opening, SADHUS was ready to play some slow heavy sludge/doom music and to be honest, at the beggining I wasn’t excited by their music that much. First of all, I would prefer they would have more interaction with the crowd. Also, I would prefer the drummer & guitarist not to be half naked for no reason! During their concert, I realized they conquered my mind without a second try. They played songs included “Stevaro”, “Baboola”, “Abduction (kokkoras)” – funny names, also “Supagorgonizer” from IRON MONKEY and “Lazarus” as the last song which explode my mind.
At 23:50 the heavy as fuck metallic hardcore band EDEN DEMISE was ready to smash what remained from the stage. They played eight songs including “Retaliation”, “Words Of Strength” and “Prove You Wrong”. What must be emphasized though, is the outrageous guitar skilled George M. from AGAINST THE SOCIETY (Volos) as a new member in the hardcore band. The beat down kicks in the stomach, the New York riffs, the angry singer John D., the AK-47 drummer Peter L. (also member of ONE BLOCK SOCIETY) and the mosh pit, were the highlights of the night as they prove us wrong!
Last but not least, ONE BLOCK SOCIETY, started to play at 24:45. The old school grandpas, no matter how many years has passed, they can still demonstrate their ultimate skill to teach us some lessons! Zak was already heated up from HEAVIER THAN GOD and stayed on stage for 12 songs with his golden voice unharmed. Peter L. was also heated up from EDEN DEMISE. The band’s beliefs appeared soon with Zak’s shout: “No Masters-No Gods” and his upside-down cross draw. Also, they played a song from Providence which they dedicated to Eden Demise.
Nothing has changed from our childhood. Good friends, cold beers, and a fucking concert to think about. We are getting older, but the music still remains our fountain of youth.