Venceremos (Villagers of Ioannina City)
A long time ago now, when our attentive ears first caught the unexpected sound of the Greek band Villagers of Ioannina City, we had to admit that we’d been deeply moved by a whole host of elements that exuded originality and commitment and revealed a talent that transcended genres and labels, a fact masterfully confirmed by the excellent Age of Aquarius in 2019. Unfortunately, aside from a live album released in 2021 to reassure us that COVID-19 hadn’t gotten the better of them or their desire to keep fighting, no news had reached us since then. Imagine our surprise, or rather, our delight, to learn before summer that Venceremos, the band’s new album, was set to arrive this fall! The wait felt all the longer for it, but it’s clear today that it was well worth it, as this latest release stands out as an ambitious work of incredible richness that reshuffles the genre deck better than ever, an adventurous album that straddles genres without losing the energy that has always guided the Greeks.
“Venceremos” transports us to a dystopian world, ruled by a powerful few, controlled by lies, and, as if that weren’t enough, by fear and violence. Right from “Home,” VIC’s heavy rock unfolds its rich soundscape, incorporating the traditional instruments the band loves, while the lyrics pack a powerful punch against a backdrop of military-style drumming. We rediscover the band’s power, not without a certain pleasure, but, judging by Alex Karametis’s ferocity, we could never have imagined that the best was yet to come. For “Ghosts in the Sky,” the album’s first single, follows with an ethereal atmosphere that’s sliced through like a knife by a thunderous rhythm section. We’re transported back to the heyday of Running Wild or Grave Digger, but with that stoner rock sensibility that Villagers of Ioannina City has always cherished, bolstered by heavy riffs, devastating choruses, and an incredible sonic range. What a blast! Next comes the title track, a razor-sharp power-metal anthem that’s reminiscent of Gamma Ray’s Valley of the Kings with its blend of power and musicality. “Ruiner,” meanwhile, ventures into more atmospheric territory, highlighting the excellent drumming that characterizes this new album, and once again, the chorus hits hard right away, bringing everyone together. And indeed, bringing together and rallying all those who refuse to give up in the face of adversity is precisely what the band aims to do with this album, which calls on us to unite around shared values, as if it were trying to rekindle that buried humanity within each of us. Together, anything is possible again.
So, when “No Fear” unleashes its tsunami-like rhythm and takes on a stormy intensity in a stunning bass-and-drums duet by Akis Zois and Aris Giannopoulos, you know that after taking one of the most powerful and original metal blows of recent years, you’re unfortunately not out of the woods yet, but you charge ahead anyway, headfirst. Instruments rooted in folk culture, that is, popular culture, resurface when you least expect them, underscoring the honesty of a band that stands firm in its convictions, anchored in its Mediterranean homeland, embodying its values, mastering both its history and its myths, and for which it will fight to the very end against all forms of imperialism and inhumanity. For while the story being told to us serves as a backdrop, the time has come for clarity on the part of our Greek friends, who perhaps know better than we do what austerity and deprivation mean, and whose vision of the state of the world “Here & Now” must be heeded as a call to defend what is most precious to us: Freedom, and the twelve minutes of this anthem feel absolutely wonderful. “It’s a call to stand in solidarity in the face of fear, where hope shines like a distant star and where freedom is worth fighting for. It’s a matter of resistance, unity, and faith in change, even when everyone says it will never happen,” explains the band.
Finally, when “Requiem” surges forth to bring this existential quest to a magnificent conclusion, the trio, backed by Dimitris Brentas (winds), spends more than seven minutes seamlessly blending, with great sonic maturity, everything that has always defined their DNA: that rock energy, that heavy edge, that folk influence, and that stoner attitude, to deliver their message loud and clear. Here are the Greeks entering a new era, one that’s exploratory and ambitious, which places them far ahead of less adventurous bands that are content to simply keep doing what they’ve always done. Let’s bet they won’t stop now that they’re on such a roll, and at this rate, they’ll know, without looking back, that they can count on our support. Until then, let them rest assured: the message of Venceremos (which means “We Will Conquer”) has gotten through loud and clear!
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