Grande Fox – Empty Nest: Psychedelia from the North

Plenty of signs, and artists full of interest. Among them Grande Fox with their latest album titled 'Empty Nest'. They reinforce the belief that most of northern Greece is a nest of Stoner artists.

The band's beginnings

The Grande Fox is an outfit founded in Thessaloniki in 2013, where it still remains based today. The founding members of the group are Λευτέρης Ζάο (guitarist – composer – visuals) and Νίκος Μπερζαμάνης (Frontman – vocalist – lyricist). So far, over its six years of active presence, the band has created 3 releases, the LP Album "Space Nest", the EP Album "Kulning" and the Single Album "Documento“.

Each project comes fully accompanied by visual material such as Artwork, Video Clips and Photoshoots that represent them. 'Empty Nest' is the fourth project chronologically and the second Full Album (LP) by the band.

An independent band

A characteristic trait of the members' mindset is that the band follows an independent path without signed contracts with record labels. A rather unusual decision, one that surely has to do with the independent will of the music. Even from this small detail, Grande Fox show that music comes first.

The band's style

Like every band, Grande Fox can be placed into a genre of music. Their main style falls under Psychedelic Heavy Stoner Rock. However, having listened to their work in full, I think it would be extremely unfair to confine them to that alone. If we listen carefully to 'Empty Nest' and their older work as well, we'll surely find plenty of musical elements coming from lots of other genres. This happens because the band leaves the door open for experimentation when creating new material. As long as it has substance and represents something powerful.

This is of course quite subjective. Personally, I picked out plenty of virtues in the music of Grande. In short, I'd say that in 'Hangman', there's something of System of a Down both in the vocals and the music. On the other hand, in 'Deathblow', there's something of Marylin Manson. Lastly, (and here I'll stop dropping easter eggs!), the opening riff of 'Overdose' brings to mind the good old days of Black Label Society.

So, plenty of elements! But don't get me wrong! In no way am I trying to compare artists or put anyone down. I'm simply expressing what feelings come up for me when I listen to Grande's music. After all, that's what music is. Feelings, memories and colours. And obviously, since they manage to bring out such feelings in me and drive me to make these kinds of references, hats off to them! Pretty fucking ballsy that your music can be compared to artists of that calibre. Big congrats to the band for pulling that off.

On the subject matter

'The core emotional line of expression that guides us is rage, accompanied by a drive for the constant awakening of consciousness and exploration of our inner spiritual world. Many of our songs hide messages, whether on a lyrical or a visual level. We are anything but minimalists. We believe in complexity and diversity among people and we stand, both ideologically and artistically, against any fascist or racist culture and ideology.'

'We live to create new music, not the same old rehash, and that makes us want to share with you what we discover. What we work on with faith and dedication, overcoming every possible obstacle for as long as it takes until it comes out chiseled and "ready" for listening. Through this process we mature together with you and move forward together into the next steps of our musical journey.'

This is what the band told me when I asked them what drives them to write new music. And listening to the record, I can say that this will comes right out of the speakers. A will for change. A will for awakening. A will for exploration.

On the music

The music of Grande Fox is an excellent example of blending classic Desert Stoner Rock with psychedelic elements. Interesting rhythms, pauses within the tracks, and dynamics. All these elements heighten the intensity of the songs. The vocal lines drive the track and give them the characteristic texture that all Grande records have.

The heavily distorted guitars are a very distinctive element of the sound. After all, it's through them that the band's influences show through. Their sound, moreover, is what makes them stand out and has landed them on stages alongside acts like Nightstalker, Emerald Sun, Purple People Eater, Project Theory, Shotgunz and others.

The verdict

What impressed me is the band's range. The elements I picked out in 'Empty Nest' are numerous and chiseled together in an impressive way. In no way do they amount to a random mix of elements, but rather a careful selection that creates character and draws in the listener's interest.

One of the most interesting elements is the fact that the band doesn't stick to the traditional elements that define Stoner Rock, but experiments by bringing in other traits as well. I think this mix is very successful and certainly gives a unique bite to the songs' sound colours. I'll be waiting for future work, and also for the chance to see Grande Fox live, with great anticipation.