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Greece, the sunny and beautiful country strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, has always had a Metal scene not to be overlooked. From Athens comes a trio playing a mixture of Power and Thrash Metal, with an emphasis on the latter, called Desert Near the End.

The band's second album, Hunt for the Sun, took me by surprise, as I was not expecting anything that special from this Greek Thrash/Power bunch. But damn, does Desert Near the End ever deliver the goods. They remind me of a stripped down version of Iced Earth more than anything else. Vocalist Alexandros Papandreou sounds a bit like Matt Barlow here and there, while the band's music is firmly on Thrash Metal ground most of the time. This Greek band sounds tight and well rehearsed and counts on the power of sheer aggression and nice melodies to balance their song structures. They could slow down a bit and not be so concerned with breaking speed limits. They also sound a bit tedious and a bit too simple here and there but adding a second guitarist might help this situation in the long run. The guitar sound of Thanos Shaffer is Pantera-esque, in a Cowboys from Hell sort of way. The production on Hunt for the Sun leaves a bit to be desired as it's kind of thin and not as powerful as one would perhaps expect. Hopefully some improvements will take place in time for the next release.

Hunt for the Sun will undoubtedly appeal to the masses of Iced Earth/Pantera fans. I warmly recommend keeping your eyes on them in the future. Desert Near the End may well become something big some day, if the stars in the sky line up in a favorable positive for this promising Greek Metal act.