Gig Mayhem Part III

Well this was fucking awesome, we are riding hard throughout summer, but just so you know, September is just around the corner and things have just began to look very promising for the autumn season of 2013:

Yesh! The fifth edition of DEFCON FEST has just been announced and it looks epic!
This year it features a three-day live extravaganza which will take place @ AN Club (Solomou 13-15, Eksarxia, Athens) on the 27th, 28th and 29th of September of the year of our Lord 2013.
For the ignorant readers out there, DEFCON FEST started in 2008 as an effort to promote the Greek metal/rock/punk and hardcore scene. So, let's take a sneak peek at what's cooking this year:.

DAY 1 

• Word Is Bond have been a hardcore band from Athens since 2011. After they wrote their first tracks, they played their first live in Thessaloniki at the end of the same year. In 2012 they opened up for the German band Final Prayer and on March 2013 for the English Knuckledust. In the summer of 2013 the band will enter the studio for the recording of their first album from which they will present material in DEFCON Fest.
• Flipstar are a punk/rock band that have been active for 4 years in the Greek punk/skate scene with a large number of concerts in Athens and the Greek province. The band consists of 4 members: Steve, Fatnik, Pipis and Stavros, some of which have shared the same stage with several well-known bands like Pennywise, Hatebreed, Walls of Jericho, Less than Jake, Real Mckenzies, MXPX etc. Their first release was a demo with 5 songs titled "We're coming fast, we're coming hard" in 2010. Two years later in 2012, with the support of PlayFalse Records followed the first full length cd titled "Back to Basics" based on familiar and beloved sound of 90's punk/rock. At the same time they released their first video clip from the cd titled "State of mind" and some time later the second entitled "This Feeling". Finally, in June 2013 they released the EP "Sweet Sally Toe".
• My Turn are a hardcore band and as they say "For three years we live for 25 minutes on stage and the 3 chords that can change the world. Nothing more, nothing less. "Wish Upon A Star are a four-piece punk rock band influenced mainly by the scene of Florida melodic punk rock of the 90s. In the recent years they have given concerts in almost all of Europe having to their credit two official releases. The "Sincerity In Every Chord" (April 2010) and "Something To Hold Onto" (April 2012). 
• Endsight began their march as the remaining members of For What Is Worth. To album their "A Falling World" was the first release bearing the band's new name. This time, after some changes in the original composition and sound, since most belong to the genre of melodic death metal, are preparing to release their new album "A Vicious Circle" from which they will present pieces. Having played live with bands like Hatebreed, Darkest Hour, Integrity, Cataract, Rise And Fall and many others, Endsight will be a loud and energetic closure of the first day of the festival.

DAY 2

• Hedvika were formed in Athens, Greece in spring 2011 in order to deliver heavy tunes in the vein of Neurosis, Isis, Fall Of Efrafa, Electric Wizard and the likes. After spending some quality time in the studio making demo recordings, the band started performing live and scheduled some winter gigs for 2012-2013.Simultaneously they began the arduous task of giving birth to their first endeavor entitled “The Evidence Of Absence” , a concept album for our own expanding universes. Currently, Hedvika continue their journey in the stellar plains composing new tracks combining atmosphere and heaviness through their own prism.
• Hostage are a modern thrash metal band from Lamia, formed in 2011 by Christos Panayitsas (guitar) and Sakis Lambrou (bass). That same year they were joined by Sotos Dimitropoulos on drums (also in MALICIOUS SILENCE) and slowly the band created the first songs while in search of a vocalist. After several choices and changes in this position, Marios Papapavlou (also drums in EXTREME VIOLENCE, ANGSTRIDDEN, BAG A HEAD, DEVASTATION OF LIFE) joined the band in 2012. During this year made their first live appearances and finished recording four songs for the release of their first record attempt, a mini cd which was released in March 2013 called'' Control Through Fear''. A self-funded effort which contains 4 songs (plus an introduction) brutal and ferocious thrash metal inspired by the '90s and '00 and bands with a more extreme character sound like THE HAUNTED, GRIP INC., SLAYER, DEW SCENTED etc. The band continued its live appearances, is currently seeking record companies, and create and rehearse new songs for the release of their debut album in 2014. Catch the recorded version of an interview they gave here in Heavy & Unhealthy.
• Allochiria were created by the need of its' members to share thoughts and sounds with the world. They play music inspired by the pioneers of post-metal scene (Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna) and the wider sludge/post-rock /psychedelic space, while taking cues from whatever is around them and influence them. They released their first title in 2010 while ac line in mid-2012 completed the lineup with a change made in the field of voice. Since then, they have made many live with bands of the domestic scene. Allochiria will present live tracks from their first album, where the theme revolves around the average person, the alienation that exists in a society where everyone is afraid of the other and the psychological implications of this phenomenon. 
• Serenity Broken, five comme-il-faut derelicts hailing from different parts of Athens, play hard rock with some alternative & grunge puffs since early 2010. 2012 was marked as the year the band released their first record essay (Commercial Suicide), which gathered some serious reviews. Metalstorm put the release next to some Deftones, Gojira, Stone Sour etc. as a strong candidate for «BEST ALTERNATIVE METAL ALBUM 2012».
• Above Us The Waves is a five member band from the city of Kavala. The sound of AUTW contains elements of melodic death metal and hardcore and focuses on heavy riffs and powerful melodies.The band was formed by Vasilis (guitar) and Theodore (drums) and after several changes, the addition of George (guitar), Dino (bass) and Vangelis (vocals) completed the line up. So far AUTW have recorded a demo CD (2009) and a promo EP (2011) and have given many concerts in various cities. 2013 finds the band more active than ever as they record their first album with the help of Stelios Koslidi (Head Cleaner, Kin Beneath Chorus), touring across Greece (The legion aflame tour) and Bulgaria (Headlining Show in Sofia), getting signed by Spreading Dysphoria Industries Records and releasing their first video clip. The album is en route to be released during this summer. Expect their appearance at this year's DEFCON Fest anxiously.

DAY 3 

• Automaton were formed in Athens in 2011. Their music is characterized by doom/psychedelic drone sounds, influenced by stoner and heavy metal. Their first live performance took place in May 2012 and since then the band has been actively involved in the underground scene of Athens. They recorded their first album in MOTHStudio, an EP of 30 minutes, which will be released for the first time at DEFCON Fest.
• Audiobreed have been based in Piraeus since 2008. Their music is a combination of Heavy Rock, Stoner Rock and Southern Metal. In 2012 and after several changes in their line-up, the band recorded their first album "All Shades of Colours, but Only Red I See" which will be released in 2013.
• Bombing The Avenue is a progressive heavy rock band from Athens. It all began in 2010 when Dimitris, Panos and Jason, three brothers from Vari decided to form the band. The bands' first live appearance was in September 2010 in Kyttaro Club in Athens. So far the band has performed in the majority of the Athenian rock clubs, in a big festival of school bands (Schoolwave) and at Technopolis festival in the center of Athens. Bombing The Avenue never miss their chance to play live and constantly evolve their performances, having supported live bands such as Brotherhood of Sleep, Semen of the Sun and Truckfighters. The band has already released a 6 track EP and are currently in the process of recording their first full-length album which will be released after this summer. 
• Beyond Perception were formed in the summer of 2004 by Kostas Kalavrezou (guitar), Panos Kalavrezou (bass), Tolis Toleas (drums) and Paris Poukamisas (vocals, guitar), as a Progressive/Metal project, and recorded their first self-released demo. After a while, the band took a different direction, influenced mainly by Sludge/Hardcore/Stoner/Southern Metal sounds, welcoming in their line-up Panos Karnaris (from WFDD) on vocals. They have already released 2 full length albums, the "The final descent" and "Blood & Whiskey". In the summer of 2012 they made a change in their line-up with Makis Makoulas taking the place of Panos Karnaris as frontman and lead singer of the band. Beyond Perception have shared the stage with bands such as "Spiritual Beggars", "Annihilator", "Goran Bregovic", "Ava Inferi" (Rune Eriksen Doom Project, Mayhem, Aura Noir), "Nightstalker", "Suicidal Angels", "Rotting Christ" and many others. Their goal for 2013 is to tour in Europe and finding a record label to host for their new material. They are currently working on their third album, which is to be released in 2013.
• Beginning in early 2011, Half Gramme Of Soma tried the combination of Heavy Rock sound with a variety of influences culminating in the release of their debut self-titled album earlier this year. Marching onward with a renewed lineup and material from their upcoming release, HGoS are always ready fornoisy and intense live performances, one of which will also be closing this year's DEFCON Fest. Catch the recorded interview of Half Gramme Of Soma here.

This concludes the current line-up of this year's DEFCON FEST. An audio treat if you ask me...
At the festival there will be counters with merchandise from the bands, releases by Trailblazer Records, art prints  by Vance Kelly, creator of this years' festival poster, as well as merchandise from other labels and distros.

Doors open at 20.30 every day.
Admission: €6 per day