1/2 Southern North – ‘Narrations of a Fallen Soul’

The 1/2 Southern North give us their debut album. The personal project of Ιφιγένειας Δεριζιώτη (IDVex) makes its musical debut with the album 'Narrations of a Fallen Soul'. The album bears the signatures of Satanath Records (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), Les Acteurs de l' Ombre (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and Fog Foundation (Facebook)

An album that defines Occult Metal

Ιφιγένεια shows that she has a wide range of influences, which she generously lays out on this record. The artist from Καλαμάτα adds elements of Black and Doom Metal and of Avant-Garde and Experimental music. Musical elements that complement her subject matter, which draws from ancient Greek mythology and literature as well as from occultism. The seven tracks, one of which is a cover, clearly reveal an aesthetic of development and narrative based on Ancient Greek Tragedy. At the same time, the structure of the songs' composition borrows forms and approaches from classical music.

An album that creates a deep inner quest

'Narrations of a Fallen Soul' deals thematically with the essence of death and the soul as two interlinked concepts, dual in meaning. This connection also translates as the masculine (death) and feminine (soul) principle of an eternal becoming. An allegorical and poetic depiction of the above elements, the concept of death within the album takes the form of the minor deity of Death as it appears in Ancient Greek mythology. The soul is shaped as the maiden Psyche, and these two concepts are personified.

The 1/2 Southern North they're heavily into symbols and elements of occultism. The Soul, the Moon, the Serpent… Symbols that play a defining role in their thematic universe. The process of the Soul's union with Death, which at first terrifies her (as a contract that is obligatory and inescapable) but she comes to accept him as a liberator and ultimately as her lover, a "marriage" of change and eternity. Additionally, the concept of the Serpent plays a major role both as a sacred symbol (in its occult -Lucifer- and archetypal approach) and as a phallic symbol (though not dominantly, but as a substance complementary to the essence of the feminine element).

Music drawn from dreams and ... nightmares

Ιφιγένεια offers us a collection of very distinctive tracks. 'Narrations of a Fallen Soul' is going to be a love-it-or-hate-it record! Its sounds carry a darkness and an otherworldly beauty. All of this combined with vocals that seem to be pulled straight out of an Ancient Tragedy, and you'll be thrown into an unprecedented world from the very first listen. 1/2 Southern North make a powerful musical start. It's worth setting aside the time to listen to them, since what they bring to music is something unique.

Tracklist:

1. Alpha Sophia (12:30)
2. Hearts of Hades (08:16)
3. Breastfeed Your Delightful Sorrow (10:33)
4. Elegy of Hecate (09:47)
5. Narrations of a Fallen Soul (08:41)
6. Remnants of Time (12:31)
7. Song to Hall Up Hight (Bathory cover) (04:25)

Credits:

Taking part on this record are the musicians (as credited on the record):

Philippos Lyrintzis – Drums

George Kastanos – Saxophone

Efraimia Giannakopoulou – Violin

Dimitris Soureas – Davul

Stavros Panagiotopoulos – Kaval

Malena Pereske – Dahare

Polytimi Noea – Lyrics in Ancient Greek for the track "Hearts of Hades”

 IDVex : Compositions, Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Chelys Lyre, Synthesizer, Theremin and Lyrics

The album's cover artwork was overseen by graphic designer Pashalis Zervas  +Wolframgrafik (Facebook, Instagram), Athens 2021.

It's the engraving by Moses Haughton (the younger) of the painting (1796) "Die Sünde, vom Tod verfolgt" (Sin Pursued by Death) by the painter Johann Heinrich Füssli.

The promo photos were shot and overseen by photographer Elena Vasilaki (Facebook), Athens 2021.