Sometimes you hear a band and they immediately grab your attention. It’s a feeling of ecstasy like no other. Music that interacts with your soul on a level incomparable to anything else on this plane of existence. I recently had that feeling hit me. The Greek band Villagers of Ioannina City have captured my imagination. There’s just something magical about their music. It’s bold, it blends subgenres and the overall tone just encompassed my mind on the first listen. I’ve been introduced to them thanks to Napalm Records releasing their live album Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020) this year. As soon as I watched the first video, I was immediately filled with joy. I instantly wanted to share it with my friends and I started writing this blog.
Firstly, who are they? The band consists of Alex Karametis on guitar and lead vocals, Akis Zois on bass guitar, Aris Giannopoulos on the drums, Konstantis Pistiolis playing the clarinet and other wind instruments and Konstantinos Lazos on the bagpipe and additional instrumentation. At least this is the most up-to-date lineup I’ve found. Hailing from Ioannina in Greece the band take the influence of their Greek heritage, Greek mythology and folklore and infuse it into modern stoner rock. Making for a weird spacey sound that is simply intoxicating. To me at least. Their use of layering of multiple musical textures on top of one another and integration of folk instruments in their sound gives them a unique tonal quality that hits with some power.
To date, they have released two studio albums and the aforementioned live record. In their native land of Greece, they're quite beloved as evidenced by the sizable crowd, seen in the live show recording. In addition to that, if you want additional content, you can also check out their 2010 promo and their 2014 EP. So plenty of content to get your ears into. After hearing the live version of the song “Father Sun” I got stuck into their 2019 album Age of Aquarius. This album is a special one and one that I, once again, shared around my friend circle. The album is a perfect combination of dark, gloomy rock and trance-inducing folk instrumentation. The first time I put this record on I was stunned at the production. Of course, your tolerance of stoner rock may vary from mine. Yet, if you’re like me, then I can firmly say that Villagers of Ioannina City are up there in the top tier of the genre and Age of Aquarius is one of the best albums in the genre.
I was so satisfied with that record, I moved on to their older material and their first record, Riza (translated from Greek, “Root”). This album is a different experience. You can tell they were greener and more willing to throw ideas at the wall. In that sense, I was able to hear the more refined idea first! Anyway, the first album is more of a culture shock. It qualifies more as a folk-rock album than the stoner rock band they would become. “Root” is an appropriate title as this certainly marks their roots in the genre and lays the groundwork for their future ideas. You can tell they had fun playing around with different ideas and sound to make something unique and something that you could break away from many attempting the same genre and concept ideas. The rock band core mixed with the more traditional folk music isn’t, by any means, a new idea. However, Villagers of Ioannina City make their unique stamp by incorporating ideas of Greek folklore and mythology into their lyrics and their sound sounds like an orchestra of the cosmos. All of this culminates with the live album, Through Space and Time. Recorded in 2020 and released on their Youtube channel in 2021. The vinyl was released in March of this year (2023) via Napalm Records. Watching this show is like being transported to the concert itself. The live sound is masterfully recorded and captures the feeling of a big show like very few live recordings I’ve watched. It made me want to see them live and someday I hope to. I don’t know my chances of doing so, but I will remain hopeful that I can one day. Until then, I will settle for this live recording. Capturing the band's career, up to now, in a masterful and tight setlist. This show has all of their best songs in one bundle and you get the sound of the crowd enjoying every moment. All wrapped with the amazing stage show, with all of the trimmings. To me, this is the absolute best way to experience them for the first time and I would recommend this to anyone with a passing interest in the genre.
I can’t believe how quickly I fell in love with their sound. Sometimes now, to relax, I will just lie down and listen to “Age of Aquarius”, “Cosmic Soul”, “Ti Kako” or “Karakolia”. The tone and production give my anxiety a break and I can just breathe. I don’t think I was prepared for something to rocket into my estimations so fast, but hey, I am not complaining. Sometimes you have to make room for something new. That new music can transport you to a better place. I think I’m going to be keen to follow them and keep an ear out for any new releases, and for that matter any new tour dates. Villagers of Ioannina City have now become a mainstay of my playlists and now starting to inform my recommendations, so maybe I’ve found something new. Something to keep me occupied, until the next new band blows my mind.
Very good write up, Mick 👍🏻
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