Greece is a wonderful country with great people and an excellent vivid Metal scene. Over and over again, it is possible to discover new hidden gems – that’s an open window, of course. A couple of days ago, I came across Darklon – a band from Athens who was founded in 2017 and mainly plays Power Metal. To be clear: You may expect the vigorous US version with balls. Legends like Jag Panzer, Omen and early Savatage provided inspiration.

In 2019, the Greeks released their first full-length Rise from Death. It’s pretty short – but, in my opinion, that’s no problem at all because I usually prefer albums that get to the point. An outstanding characteristic of this debut is the powerful, thunderous riffing. You want to raise your fists all the time because the songs are really relentless, without any exception. The guitar solos aren’t very long and serve the songs constantly. The rhythm section drives the band forward – and every poser away, no doubt about it! On the whole, the Greeks act enormously tight and impress with their passion for timeless US Power Metal. The brave, quite deep vocals – which fit perfectly with the bloodthirsty compositions – are remarkable, too. Sometimes, they remind me of a better version of Joakim Brodén. Most of the vocal melodies are rather memorable, especially »Arise Chariot« and »Sectarian of Blood« have to be pointed out in this context. Obviously, there are no clear weaknesses, even the sound is decent.

All in all, Darklon is a promising underground band who deserves your support. Rise from Death is a straightforward record without any frills. After some line-up changes D.K. Kras and his bandmates are eager to write a new chapter of their career. I am looking forward to the first release with current Omen vocalist Nikos Migus A. – hopefully Darklon is able to reach or even surpass the high quality of their first output which is a recommendation for every fan of traditional US Power Metal. Rise from Death makes you want more!