Review DOOMOCRACY ‘Unorthodox’

Doomocracy comes from Greece; more precisely from Crete. Yet the Greeks do not offer sun-tanned rock, but stay in the darker realms. They do this with a musical ambition, which is reflected in their technical abilities and songwriting skills.

The quintet has not released so many albums yet, but already the debut ‘The End is Written’ caused interest. The end is not in sight for Doomocracy though. Rather the opposite is the case. The band can confidently be counted among the hopefuls, which they underlined with their sophomore album ‘Visions & Creatures of Imagination’.

Five years later ‘Unorthodox’ is available in the stores and the Greeks manage to impress again with excellent songs. Doom metal, power metal and progressive metal connect to a unique musical blend which unfolds in songs like ‘Our Will Be Done’.

Photo: Panagiotis Douros / Depictions

But let’s take it one step at a time. ‘Unorthodox’ starts with an intro called ‘Aeons of Winter’ before the dark riffs of ‘Eternally Lost’ give you goosebumps. In addition, it is the very expressive vocals of frontman Michael Stavrakakis which provide the song with a multi-layered prog expression.

The album continues with the bombastic ‘Prelude to the Apocalypse’ and it’s the thunderous ‘The Spiritualist’ which features the entire vocal range of Stavrakakis.

The closing track is called ‘Catharsis’ and with eight minutes it is also the longest song on this record. A gloomy but calm opening immediately creates an oppressive atmosphere. The longer the song resounds from the speakers, the more heaviness develops. The heaviness does not consist of haphazard riffs, but follows a certain principle of complexity; a structure that carries the song.

Doomocracy is a band that fans of powerful and intricate metal should definitely have on their radar. The guys know exactly what they want and at the same time have the musical tools to let their ideas resonate in very accomplished songs.