Storm. Maybe the most underestimated element is the one that always comes to my mind when thinking about the strength of the four. Storm (or Air to be precise) is also the one I associate the most with what is called Pagan (Black) Metal. No matter if Bathory or Enslaved, Fortið or Narglfar, this is one genre widely associated with Scandinavia and the historic regions of the Norsemen. But there is also this other Pagan tradition rooted in the Southern regions of Europe, especially in Greece. Thus we are happy to give you the premiere of another great Greek Pagan Black Metal record: Corax B.M.’s Pagana! Enjoy
Pagana has everything a good Pagan record should have and is in a way self-referential because of its title: It got melodies galore, a good measure of both Thrash and Punk influences, an ear for how to record riffs and a dynamic duo on mics. If you wonder why the guitars seem so dark or low-tuned, well, simply because we are not talking about six-strings, but rather about two bass guitars being shredded here by Peisisthanatos and Corax, the latter not only being the namesake of the band, but also their prime vocalist, with some fine additional vocals being added by Ennea. Her contributions are another prime trademark of the band and wander between strong high-pitched and quiet, nearly-whispered parts - both sides purvey a certain sorceress-like intimacy that seems to infuse your ear and brain to keep on going on striving for the next awesome turn of events.
From the first seconds of the opener “Angelos Eksodios” (by the way, the only track with a two-word-title, all others have only one word) you will be pulled into the realm of the battles of Salamis or Marathon and the way the Greeks have defended their realms in (naval) encounters nearly 2,500 years ago. One might feel aship one of the vessels, even though that is not the over-arching theme of the record. If you want to find out more about the songs’ lyrical content, you need to learn Greek though. I can only speak for the music but in this case that is more than enough to catch my attention.
You can pre-order via the Circle Music’s website and get ready for battle on January 26, 2024, when the record will be released. Until then, enjoy the seven tracks on Pagana here:
