Dark Vision – 'Ianos': Cosmic Black / Death Chaos!

The Dark Vision return after 7 whole years (finally!) with “Ianos”. This time the band teamed up with the world-renowned Andy Classen, who handled the mixing and mastering of the record. The gorgeous cover design was done by Remedy Art Design.

A band with a long road behind it

The Dark Vision have been active on the Greek scene since the mid-90s, with a solid discographic presence both in Greece and abroad. They were formed in 1996, playing mainly a mix of heavy and black. In their later work they've moved towards the black/death sound we hear on “Ianos”. Live, the band has shared the stage with Mayhem, Rotting Christ, SepticFlesh, Satyricon, Sodom, and quite a few more names from the Greek scene.

About the music

As for ‘Ianos‘ now, the band manages to grab our attention from the very first seconds of the album with the powerful “Absurdity in Abyss”. Dark and melodic, and while the demonic blast beats hit mercilessly, along comes “Cosmic Storm” to shake us up. This is how the album's excellent opening continues, with alternating tempo and diabolical “shrieks” that balance between Black and Death metal. This is also the strongest card of “Ianos” for me, one that can't be sold short. It borrows the best elements from Black metal and Death Metal, and marries them beautifully, resulting in a full-bodied, powerful sound.

We continue with the fiery foursome with “Asylum”, “Of Unknown Artist”, “Defile The Pure” and “Sulfur Vision”. Four tracks that carry plenty of influences from two massive (and personally beloved) bands, Behemoth and Dark Funeral. Of course, that's not a negative, since these aren't cheap copies, but equally worthy efforts that have nothing to envy.

“Ianos” carries on its blazing course with the cover of Deathwish (Christian Death). No need to say much here, just listen to it. An outstanding cover!

“Gruesome Tidedoesn't waste a minute and with a heavy riff from the underworld takes us on a journey through eerie, dark valleys, ready to be covered by a "horrifying tide"… And so, we reach the end of the "Ianos" with the eerie and relentless "Keep". This particular track is, for me, the absolute highlight of the album. It closes "Ianos" in a beautiful way and makes you want to listen to the whole thing all over again.

In conclusion

The Dark Vision they return with an epic album, which leaves an excellent impression. The ‘Ianos' shows us the band's transition towards Black / Death metal and indicates that the members have now reached musical and compositional maturity. Invest your time without hesitation, if you like good, Greek black/death metal, and you'll remember us.