Release: 12/02/2022
We don’t need to introduce Chris Kappas to most readers of our blog – the Achelous frontman is a kind of regular guest here. Still, I think there are probably some who don’t know Chris’ new band Whisper Killers yet. A little spoiler: It’s really worth listening to their debut album Hard as Rock!
The Whispher Killers are quite easy to classify stylistically: They are by no means an Achelous clone. They offer traditional, gritty metal with some hard rock elements and a lot of working class spirit. You want to roll up your sleeves and get into your rusty VW bus to get 5 kilos of meat, charcoal and four crates of beer for a proper barbecue with your best mates.
A prominent feature from Hard as Rock is, as expected, Chris’ distinctive, rough vocals, which in combination with the heavy riffing provide all kinds of adrenaline rushes. Knowing that the singer from Athens worships the Scorpions, the stylistic orientation of the Whisper Killers is not surprising, by the way. “Lizzie“, a kind of non-cheesy power ballad that also features female vocals, could also have come from Hanover. This composition also proves that Hard as Rock is quite varied: the title track is a real hit that invites you to fist bump and sing along – a perfect album and future show opener. On “Adrenalize“, which sounds like it’s called, the guitar faction, consisting of Apostolis Manaos and George Kasapidis (who also plays bass), can shine for the first time with a fine solo. Two numbers are very reminiscent of Chris’ main band: “Shadow Killers“ has Achelous vibes, especially in the chorus, and “The Ghost of Sparta“ is in the realm of epic heavy metal, especially in the lyrics. The fact that the latter number is my favourite should probably not surprise most of you!
Conclusion: The Whisper Killers are fun! If you like honest, mostly straightforward metal, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Not innovative, but energetic and all-round likeable! About time for the barbecue season to get going again…
Performance: 80%
Songwriting: 75%
Creativity: 70%
Variety: 80%
Entertainment: 85%
OVERALL: 78%