No band symbolizes the essence of ancient Greece more than KAWIR. They never fail to evoke the timeless spirit of the old Greek gods and myths with their music, and Adrasteia is no exception. While I can’t say this is my favorite KAWIR album – that would be Father Sun, Mother Moon -, I can say that it has every attribute that makes these guys such a mesmerizing listening experience.
Just six tracks here, but all are well developed. The opener ‘Tydeus’ is a bit of a slower burner, starting with a lot of chanting and a moderate pace before picking up into a great “marching” kind of a riff. ‘Atalanti’ ups the ante considerably with an awesome combo of raging black metal and a more epic, majestic feel. ‘Danaides’ and ‘Limniades’ increase the blackened fury but still retain that unique Greek feel to the music, flute and classical instruments still adding spice as over much of Adrasteia.
With ‘Colchis’, the metal disappears entirely as the song is completely like something that has come forward 3,000 years in time, with Greek folk instruments and bewitching female singing. For some, this might be seen as a momentum stopper and I wouldn’t argue that strongly, but this kind of music is part and parcel of the KAWIR experience. The final cut, ‘Medea’, eases up on the black metal and creates something more melodic and expansive. In this case, I do feel that something maybe a little heavier was called for.
Another strong album of pure Hellenic black/folk metal from KAWIR. They are surely the favored of the gods.
Review By: Dr. Abner Mality
KAWIR
Adrasteia
Iron Bonehead Productions
4 / 6