VELVET THUNDER

Villagers of Ioannina City return with Venceremos – a heavy rock rebellion forged in fire, myth and resistance! The album comes out on Napalm Records on September 18 and it’s a real development from Age of Aquarius, released as far back as 2020. Venceremos is bolder, more polished, more immersive , expanding the band’s sonic universe beyond its previous roots. Blending heavy rock, progressive heavy metal and distinct folk elements, the Greek collective deliver their most ambitious and conceptually driven work to date.

I previously said in my review of Age of Aquarius – “try to imagine a brand of heavy psychedelic rock with added Greek folk instruments!” And that still stands, heaven only knows what sub-genre that might be called. They are a merry band of boundary-pushers, and the result then was a superb blend of really entertaining heavy rock that was/is quite timeless, a fascinating, different and alluring musical mix. So I was naturally eager to hear this latest production – and it doesn’t disappoint!

Set in a dystopian future shaped by illusion, control and fear, Venceremos unfolds as a journey through exile, resistance and awakening. It follows those who rise against a broken world, rejecting gods and modern kings in order to reclaim freedom and meaning. Through struggles, hopes, fears and deep reflections on existence, one truth remains constant: the quest is one, and its name is freedom (all classic “Greek tales” stuff, except without Odysseus!)

The band (VIC for short) have been looking to hone their identity on this record, getting heavier more direct and intense. The new material is driven by a new level of energy, delving deeply into the band’s heavy rock and metal influences, pushing into more aggressive territory while still sharing a genuinely progressive spirit. Ritualistic rhythms, expansive arrangements and traditional instrumentation such as bagpipes and zourna are srtill there – they’re not mere embellishments, but essential elements of the band’s sonic language. Folk stories and Greek sagas meet powerful riffs and dynamic structures as the band move seamlessly across the record between meditative passages and eruptive climaxes, balancing restraint and impact. Make no mistake, the folk layers are not ornamental, they’re central to the band’s unique sonic identity and help shape each composition.

First up is Alienation, an extremely brief but atmospheric instrumental intro that quickly morphs into Home. This is just short of ten minutes long, building inexorably above an edgy riff that expands into a full-on metal work-out. Great melodies, very powerful vocals from Alex Karametis, it certainly feels as though the band has matured, more confident in their arrangements. Straight away, I’m again drawn in and aurally hypnotised by the sound and the aural imagery.

Ghosts in the Sky was the first single from the album, another gentle introduction takes you into a hypnotic earworm of a repeated riff, together with multi-layered vocals, delivered nice and clearly at the front of the mix. It’s an effective trick, the track developing so well over the 7+ minutes, illuminating the tale with energizing intensity, combining heavy driving grooves, layered textures and a cinematic sense of movement. It strongly reminds me of Italian operatic metal purveyors Walk In Darkness for the sheer scale of the imagery, great stuff.

The title track Venceremos stands at the album’s core, unfolding through dynamic shifts, crystal-clear vocal delivery and a powerful build that captures both tension and release. This is the heaviest the band has ever been, whilst still capturing that psychedelic imagery akin to Hawkwind? This middle part of the album is very much driven by repeated hypnotic riffs – it makes me think there’s really not much difference at all between Hawkwind and “Villagers” – that’s certainly not a criticism, it works to great effect on this album. Although the basic mix is that repetitive riff-driven rhythm, there is a lightness to the playing and the production so that it never gets messy and uninteresting – it’s all mesmerically tuneful and melodic.

The Ruiner opens with the haunting notes of Greek bagpipes before this massive slab of metal crashes over you. Catching your breath in the lighter sections, a nicely crisp mix lets you savour the interplay of light and shade on this one. No Fear is more evidence of the band embracing metal more fully than ever before, it’s okay without perhaps being as absorbing as other tracks?

Then we have the monster that is Here and Now. At a few seconds short of twelve minutes, this is a mighty beast indeed. It starts in a more Psych-Prog style than its predecessors, with a tale that could be straight out of the Greek Fables, complete with traditional instruments winding around the fringes. Then we’re into another of their classic hypnotic rifferamas. There’s something “HIM-like” about their delivery in the relentlessly energetic pacing underpinning big stories. Topping that is some wonderfully clean lead licks from Alex – he’s a multi-talented guy!

Epitaph in contrast is less than four minutes long, again unleashing the bagpipes in a hauntingly atmospheric number that makes me think of Mel Gibson in Braveheart. It certainly captures that “end of” emotion, and then leads seamlessly into Requiem, fittingly, the album’s final chapter. Reflective and uncompromising, the song turns its attention to endings and the final reckoning, when everything else falls away and all that remains is the truth of how a life was lived. It’s a seven-minute journey where progressive structures and traditional elements fully unfold, culminating in a liberating, heavy rock anthem of epic scale – all topped with an absolute scorcher of a solo. Watching the superb video (below) strongly reminds me of Italian operatic metal purveyors Walk In Darkness for the sheer scale of the imagery. A fittingly strong end to a very powerful album, my personal favourite for its sense of scale.

Produced and recorded by Alex Karametis at Magnanimous X Studio in Greece, and mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Venceremos captures clarity and depth in equal measure. With this release, Villagers of Ioannina City have delivered a powerful, immersive heavy-psych journey through darkness, defiance and the unbreakable force of rebellion. They’ve once again reinforced their place within that scene, with Venceremos standing as a clear-cut step in their ongoing evolution.

In support of Venceremos, the band are going to perform an album release show in Athens on September 20 at the Lycabettus Theatre, one of the city’s most legendary open-air venues, before the band embarks on a series of shows across Greece’s major cities and an extensive European Tour in March 2027 with dates to be announced soon.