Metal and rebellion have run hand in hand for decades now, which is why it always makes me laugh when bands suck up to fascist ideas. Where the fuck did you lose the plot? Anyway this music was meant for the outcasts, the downtrodden, those ground in the gears of the power structure as a means to give inspiration to fight back.
Every ounce of “Gone With the Devil” sounds like a spirited battle against oppressive structures (be it political, societal, artistic), and Hellenic force Yoth Iria are holding aloft the torches for the march. On their third record and first for Metal Blade, the band—vocalist HE, guitarists Nikolas Perlepe and Naberius, bassist Jim Mutilator (formerly of Rotting Christ and Varathron), drummer Bill “Vongaar” Stavrianidis—immediately energizes with their punishing spirits and feel like they’re lathering up the masses to refuse any further bullshit. The music also gives a sense of personal power and ambition reminding that your heart is alive, as is your mind, and there is no reason to give up for anyone or anything.
“Dare to Rebel” starts with sweeping chants, and then growls lurch, the leads slowly catch fire, and then everything bursts, the vocals crushing. Singing bellows and bleeds defiance, the call of, “No fear, no shame!” feeling personal, the playing surging and then going spacious, ending in a blur. “Woven Spells of a Demon” has a fantastical essence at first, howls wrenching as the melodies swirl, the bustling pace trudging into the ground. The spirited aura turns mystical, dust kicked up into lungs, the call of, “We dare to dream,” striking. “The Blind Eye of Antichrist” starts with choral calls that rouse hearts, the leads bubble, and the whole vibe just feels huge. The guitars blaze as the song’s center reveals itself, the calls bellowing as the choruses return, alerting your animal spirit. “I, Totem” bruises, raspy howls lashing flesh, the playing accelerating, ripping into glorious power that rains down hard. The repeated call of, “Nature’s sacred magic,” works into your nervous system, weathered strains paying homage to nature, guitars circling before fading. “3am” is dark and jolting, the singing gushing, HE howling, “The doors are open, our demons are here, our freedom is near.” Melodic leads melt as the vocals claw back, savage fluidity captivates, and whispered calls conjure mystical spirits.
“Give ‘Em My Beautiful Hell” is vibrant and defiant, strings quivering as the melodies cascade, the howls gutting as the guitars flood and reach over dusty shelves. Glorious melodies halt as the drums rupture, soaring through fiery keys and a door slammed shut. “Once in a Blue Moon” basks in eerie sounds before igniting, tortured growls punishing, the guitars blazing with cosmic force. Both atmospheric and grisly, the howls scrape your psyche as infectious energy courses through your veins. “Blessed Be He Who Enters” has the drums coming to life and spitting cinders, warm, calculated melodies setting a foundation, a great chorus landing hard. The wails decimate as leads rush through and pull you under the surface, illuminating long, dark secrets before fading. “The End of the Known Civilization” starts ominously, howls creaking and then the playing mashing, the melodies sprawling with ferocity and intensity. Soloing sprawls as the mood grows decidedly sinister, striking hard as colors blaze, the drums tapping and delivering a burly end. “Harut, Government, Fallen” ends the record, blistering and stimulating, making adrenaline rush through your body, the singing driving as harsher cries salt wounds. Then things turn guttural as the leads smoke with power, and warbled cries spell an end to this attack.
“Gone With the Devil” is a record that should draw more attention to this band, as they have figured out a way to harness everything special about themselves and spill that all over these 10 tracks. This is a record that immediately grabbed my attention, and I have revisited it many times since the music arrived. This is a memorable album that fires the heart and spirit and reminds you of just how moving and motivating metal can be.
For more on the band, go here: https://yothiria.com/
To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalblade.indiemerch.com/
Or here (Europe): https://shop.metalblade.de/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.metalblade.com/us/
Meat Mead Metal 