  
Pure Legend Records/Sound Pollution
Cypriot band ASTRONOMIKON consists of vocalist Nocholas Leptos, guitarist Socratis Leptos, bass player Paris Lambrou and drummer Stefan Dittrich. They have been around in this band since 2008, and released their fists demo in 2010. The info sheet talks of a familiar touch of CRIMSON GLORY and hails them as one of the best ever from Cyprus. That doesn´t seem too much of a promise, but we better find out.
I must say that ASTRONOMIKON dare to be themselves, with a healthy dose of IRON MAIDEN basics, and play out their national style. If they make it…only the future will tell. The orchestral opening of the intro “Ad Astra per Aspera” is a surprisingly ok start, and the next track, “Anatolia” is interesting enough to keep my attention as this Cypriot Maiden emerges. The next point of interest is the more progressive “Son of Seriphos”. The refrain might not be dominant but the arrangement with separate movements is the more complex in itself. There might be a CRIMSON GLORY touch after all but that is not as evident in their finest moment “”The Spell I´m Under”. There are the slight keyboards and the choir, but the refrain in itself is strong as can be. The title track is not far behind, and had they not ventured into slight growling I might have put it ahead of the aforementioned favorite of mine. The concept continues as they hover betwixt progressive and refrain-laden, CRIMSON GLORY may well be mentioned, but I think the concept of CYPRUS MAIDEN is mostly correct, not MAIDEN as of yesterday but a more modern variety. To make sure I keep them in mind they end with the eyebrow raising “Perseas Eurymedon”. The melody is really lavish, they build up the story and the spoken choir part adds to the Greek drama. This may not be a full hit but it seems there is potential…
Track List
Ad Astra per Aspera
Anatolia
Son of Seriphos
Witch Hunter
The Spell I´m Under
Dramatis Personae
Dark Gorgon Rising
Bloodborn
The Stone Abomination
For You I Will Die Young
A Sad Day at Argos
Perseas Eurymedon
www.purelegend-records.com www.myspace.com/astronomikon
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