• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Greece has always been a hotbed for quality Metal, whether it be Thrash, Trad, Death-you name a genre, there's a Greek band that does it justice. This brings us to Black Soul Horde, initially started as a side project of John Tsiakopoulos and Jim Kotsis in 2012, that focuses on that good old-fashioned NWOBHM sound with hints of the classic U.S. sound. I missed their 2013 debut, Tales of the Ancient Ones, and that's a shame if this is any indication, because this is just more evidence of why the Greek scene is first-rate.

Land of Demise walks the path bands like Maiden, Omen, and Iced Earth carved out decades ago. You get the expected galloping riffs, singalong choruses, and catchy, straightforward arrangements, only Black Soul Horde do it well enough that they may as well have been there back in the Golden Age itself. The secret to making this sound work is that you can't really fake it with gimmicks or trite imitation, you actually have to write good songs and play them with conviction and energy. This band has that down in spades, and when mixed with their strong sense of melody, they hit upon a vein that's been mined countless times before and still come out striking gold that's nostalgic while still sounding fresh and exciting. Not to be missed.