Κέρινες Ζωές: Strong start with their debut album

Making their musical debut on record are Κέρινες Ζωές. The Greek-language band presented their self-titled, debut album, a record that differs quite a lot from the standards of the genre. The record is out on vinyl and CD courtesy of B-otherside Records (Facebook).

A musical agreement of many genres

The band was formed in 2017 in Athens. Their music is multifaceted, and this makes a lot of sense once you understand the musical backgrounds each member comes from. Κέρινες Ζωές Κέρινες Ζωές are deeply influenced by Blues, Post-Rock, Indie and Alternative Rock. On first thought, I couldn't have imagined how a bunch of quite different musical genres could come together into something with substance. And all of this under the roof of the Greek language and Greek-language rock! However you look at it, this is, if nothing else, a very interesting venture. 

On the music

Musically, the record has elements we wouldn't expect to find in the general style of Greek-language rock. On one hand, we have the extensive use of keyboards, which give a very distinctive texture to the tracks. The guitars have receded quite a bit, taking on a more supportive role. The vocals, on the other hand, are clear and pushed more to the front of the mix. If I had one observation, it would concern the lead guitar parts, which I'd have liked to stand out even more. Still, the overall aura that emanates from the sound is very distinctive. Finally, we should point out the slightly progressive elements found in the tracks, with the tempo changes giving a particular flair to certain moments.

On the subject matter

The lyrics of the songs, written by Ειρήνη Παπαδοπούλου, by Ευαγγελία Μαργώνη, by Απόλλωνα Τσέρνα and by Κωνσταντίνο Μαρκουλάκη. Κέρινες Ζωές Κέρινες Ζωές have a very distinctive range of themes. There are tracks that will awaken a more bohemian streak in you and shake you to your core (like 'Τα Παιδιά που δεν αγαπήσατε'), all the way to tracks with a somewhat more intense romantic element (like 'Ζωή Μωρό μου‘). The main thing we can easily grasp is the fact that every track has plenty of hidden meanings and is waiting for you to discover them!

The fact that the tracks draw from such a wide variety of lyrical sources makes them multifaceted. Full of many different elements, which nonetheless intertwine in an exceptional way. Ultimately, the tracks present a thematic and emotional pluralism that, combined with the band's sound, delivers a really interesting lyrical result.

Editor's Choice: 'Φόβου Παίγνια'

I could point out that several tracks managed to grab the attention of Λαγωνικού! This particular one, though, was what moved us the most. The melody on the keys will get stuck in your head, while the way it's performed (almost like a recitation) gives the track an otherworldly beauty. Lastly, this one seems to carry more classic elements from old-school Greek-language rock. Enjoy it!

Κέρινες Ζωές are made up of:

Guitars:  Γιώργος Γεωργιλάς – Ίαν Ευφραιμίδης 

Vocals: Κωνσταντίνος Μαρκουλάκης 

Drums: Ιωάννα Βενετία Κουκοπούλου

Keys: Σταύρος Βασιλειάδης

Bass:  Δημήτρης Κουφομιχαήλ

In closing

The Κέρινες Ζωές seem to have taken the most important elements from every era of music and combined them into an album that's very different from anything you've heard before. Distinctive lyrics and melodies that will surely take you on a journey and prove to you that Greek rock can have other sides to it too.