Description
+ their 2nd album for free.
Buy this CD and get a CD-R of their second album “The Second Death” FOR FREE.
This is the holy grail of Greek Heavy metal, equivalent to Japans’ Hellen/Talon of King, Italy’s Adramelch/Irae Melanox or Russia’s Magnit/Dies Irae…and this is a vinyl rip of the original first edition, a collector’s item that is rarely sold below 150 bucks.
A 5-star, 10 out-of-10 or however you want to call it release…absolutely brilliant!
1985 debut album by Greek metal band Vavel.
Label: Unisound Records – 880306, Unisound Records – 8803006
Format: CD , Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue
Country: Greece, Hellas
Dated: 2003
Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1 Vavel 5:55
2 Follow Your Mind 3:27
3 Fight With Metal 3:31
4 Remember 5:12
5 Atomic Energy 4:16
6 Stand Up 2:47
7 Another Chance 7:41
8 Bach’s Toccata By Vavel 4:35
- Total length: 37:36
Bass – Kapros
Cover – Kostas Sidiropoulos
Drums – Kostas Kyriakidis *
Guitar – Dimitris Andritsoudis
Keyboards – Akis Simadolpoulos
Vocals, Lyrics By – Pavlos Gavriilidis
Limited to 3000 hand-numbered copies. Originally released in 1986 by FM Records.
Recorded at Jimmy’s Studio Micro 8 Jan. 03 – Feb. 04 1986
Barcode: MSV V701 PT-021 TEL-2292061013-4
Mastering SID Code: IFPI LD34
Diese Platte aus Griechenland zählt zu den gesuchtesten Euroscheiben überhaupt. Preislich etwas über dieses Werk zu sagen fällt sehr schwer, da es eigentlich nie angeboten wird. Aber sie ist jede Mark wert!!! Alleine das Cover läßt Metalherzen höher schlagen! Wenn man das relativ hohe Alter der Platte bedenkt, wird hier schon geniale Musik geboten. Sehr klassisch angehauchter Metal in Höchstform wird hier abgeliefert und zwar auf allen 8 Songs. Sogar eine eigene Interpretation von Bachs “Toccatta” haben VAVEL verwurstet. Musikalische Vergleiche zu nennen ist in diesem Fall äußerst schwer, da sie doch ziemlich eigenständig sind aber eine Mischung aus ADRAMELCH, WARLORD und SARACEN trifft die Sache ganz gut. Klingt toll, oder?! Ist auch so, denn “Remember”, “Follow Your Mind”, “Vavel”, “Fight With Metal” oder “Another Chance” sind brilliante Metalsongs mit sehr viel klassischem Flair. Trotz der vielen geilen Melodien kommt die Härte nicht zu kurz, was mir immer sehr wichtig ist. An allen Ecken und Enden sind tolle Keyboard-oder Gitarrenparts eingebaut, die die Songs unheimlich veredeln. Was auch sehr erfreulich ist, ist der Sänger, denn dieser ist für einen Griechen sehr gut! Rundum eine Platte die zurecht den höchsten Insiderstatus genießt. Leider ist der Sound relativ schlecht und drucklos, was ich aber verschmerze, da VAVEL bei mir einen enormen Exotenbonus haben. Übrigens unglaublich, daß diese Platte auf Polygram erschienen ist und trotzdem so ungeheuer rar ist. Wenn ihr also auf klassischen Metal mit hoher Qualität steht, dann schaut zu, daß ihr euch irgendwoher diese Platte bezieht, denn es lohnt sich wirklich!!! In meinen Augen eine DER, wenn nicht DIE beste Südeuropa Platte überhaupt (neben ADRAMELCH natürlich)! Also viel Spaß bei der Suche.
This record from Greece is one of the most sought-after Euro discs ever. It is very difficult to say anything about the price of this work because it is never actually offered. But it’s worth every mark!!! The cover alone makes metal hearts beat faster! If you consider the relatively old age of the record, there is some brilliant music on offer here. Very classic metal in top form is delivered here on all 8 songs. VAVEL even messed up their own interpretation of Bach’s “Toccatta”. It’s extremely difficult to make musical comparisons in this case, as they are quite independent, but a mixture of ADRAMELCH , WARLORD and SARACEN does the job quite well. Sounds great, right?! That’s true, because “Remember”, “Follow Your Mind”, “Vavel”, “Fight With Metal” and “Another Chance” are brilliant metal songs with a lot of classic flair. Despite the many great melodies, the heaviness is not neglected, which is always very important to me. There are great keyboard or guitar parts built into every nook and cranny that refine the songs incredibly. What is also very pleasing is the singer, because he is very good for a Greek! All in all a record that rightly enjoys the highest insider status. Unfortunately, the sound is relatively poor and lacks pressure, but I can get over that because VAVEL has an enormous exotic bonus for me. By the way, it’s unbelievable that this record was released on Polygram and yet is so incredibly rare. So if you like classic metal with high quality, then make sure you get this record from somewhere, because it’s really worth it!!! In my opinion one of, if not THE, best Southern European record ever (besides ADRAMELCH of course)! So have fun searching. 
Vavel (=Babylon) is one of Greece´s first Heavy Metal bands, so they have a cult status in today´s Greek Power Metal scene! Their debut came out in 1986. Today the vinyl is a wanted collector´s item. The music is traditional Heavy/Power Metal, with the addition of a keyboard, which gives Vavel´s music a progressive touch. The album starts with the up-tempo title track, Vavel. Typical Heavy Metal guitars, a majestic chorus and cool guitar solos make this song a good opener. Next good song is Fight With Metal, which has a nice thrashy riff and adequate keyboards. The same for Remember, whereas Atomic Energy is a slow rocker. The influences of US Power Metal-bands are present, but Vavel do not copy other bands at all. Nice is also the only ballad on the album, Another Chance. The album ends with a cover of Johann Sebastian Bach´s Toccata, now simple called Bach´s Toccata By Vavel. A great track which shows the musical skills of the band! The weakest link on that album is the vocalist. The vocals are sounding very obsolete today. Sometimes he´s singing too high, but sometimes he gets more aggressive and that are the few good parts regarding the vocals. The most time his voice is too weak, to call it good. After that album the band recorded another one, but it didn´t get released, ´cause the band split up. The debut was released years later from Unisound Records on CD.
Vavel is one of those bands whose very name sends shivers down the spines of metal collectors, connoisseurs and cultists worldwide. Whether they are shivers of pleasure or of disgust vary tremendously, and its not uncommon to hear opinions along the lines of “the most overrated underrated band ever” when discussing these obscure Greeks and their epic heavy metal.
Vavels self-titled effort was released in 1986 and the original LP has since then sold for unbelievable prices on several occasions. It was eventually re-released on CD by Unisound (apparently one of their legit releases), it it this version that I’m reviewing.
While Vavel doesn’t quite reach the stratospheric levels of enjoyment pierced by Dark Quarterer, the two share certain key aesthetics, such as vocals that constantly walk the tightrope between awesome and ridiculous, flawless displays of melodies and a certain otherworldly sound enhanced rather than buried by the weak and murky production. Whereas Dark Quarterer deals with darker themes such as possession and pacts with dark forces, Vavel presents a more hopeful outlook on life, even turning a song about nuclear weapons into a proper hymn.
The keyboards is what truly separates Vavel from other classic epic acts such as Manilla Road, Adramelch and the aforementioned Dark Quarterer. They contribute to a lighter sound-scape somewhere between traditional heavy, progressive and power metal. Think early Fates Warning joining forces with a reject from the classical music conservatory and recording their album in a basement in Thessaloniki and you’ll know what it sounds like. The sound of the keyboards might be considered cliched and cheesy by some, and the guy is no virtuoso but he does succeed in enhancing the triumphant themes present in the albums best tracks.
Similar sentiments can be ascribed to the vocalist. His voice is not especially strong with the falsetto ranging from laughable to acceptable. I’m quick to forgive any technical shortcomings as it all just fits and helps create an intangible sound far away from most mainstream metal at the time. I can’t imagine someone like Eric Adams singing “Fight with Metal” and sounding even half as convincing as this guy. If I’m not convincing you, the sceptical reader, just listen to the chorus of the title-track and decide for yourself, but beware!
My enjoyment of the album is unfortunately lessened towards its end. It starts out incredibly strong with five songs full of great guitar and keyboard melodies, inaudible bass and an epic flair, only to throw it all away for a rather bland 80s rocker in the form of “Stand Up”. This can be excusable (see Manilla Roads “Feeling Free Again”) but this particular number is followed by an overlong and boring ballad-like song that further erases the sweet memories of what came before. Vavel attempts redemption with a metalized classic piece which closes the album on a somewhat more enjoyable note.
All in all, Vavel put together an album that doesn’t quite deserve to be called a masterpiece but that certainly contains elements thereof. Recommended to all fans of cult metal.
Vavel was a good power metal / epic metal band from Greece. Their sound reminds to me a mix of the Germans Helloween and Omen. Their melodies are theatrical and, sometimes, wide-ranging. Good keyboards too!
+ their 2nd album for free.
Buy this CD and get a CD-R of their second album “The Second Death” FOR FREE.
Vavel – The Second Death
Tracklisting
Just For Rock 3:17
Confusion 3:17
Let me try 4:23
Christmas Time 5:11
The Second Death 4:00
Let me try 3:50
United 5:08
Lies In Your Eyes 2:45
Came out too late – 78%
This album released in 2002. This is the main reason that Vavel never met with any serious recognition throughout their existence. This album written in 1988 could have been at that time a milestone! Therefore, we must approach it by the 80’s standards when heavy rock had a considerable influence among the metal audience.
For that audience “The Second Death” would have been essential because it consists by some very powerful compositions, imaginative leads and memorable lines. If you can imagine a more melodic Crimson Glory or a heavier Stryper you can have a very good idea of what Vavel is about.
The strongest advantages of the album are the melancholic slow songs “Christmas Time” and “The Second Death” in the vein of Warlord and Crimson Glory where the keys build a lyric wall for the guitar’s raging graffiti. The singer delivers heavy tones with epic outbreaks increasing the majestic background. In addition to all of this the rest of the songs are either heavy classics (Let me try, United) or powerful rockers (Just for rock, Confusion). Only objection is “Lies in your eyes” that could have been in any Stryper album but is not in the sense of the rest of the album.
Greece was not the right place for a heavy band in mid 80’s and that was the reason for some superb efforts like this one to remain dormant for decades. Nevertheless, since the release of 2002 made it available in 3000 copies we can taste “The Second Death” and savor the unique aesthetics of a brilliant but forgotten era.
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