Album Review: Gnophos – Katanixi (Self Released)

Γνόφος (Gnophos) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian themed black metal project from Athens, Greece. Their debut full-length album Κατάνυξη (Katanixi) has just been released. All lyrics are in Biblical Greek and taken from the Bible, the writings of the Church Fathers and other old Christian texts.

Black metal and Christian themes go together like heaven and hell but you often find this style of music is weighted towards the anti-side of things. That’s not the case with Gnophos’ bleak and blistering new album, Katanixi.

Whatever your feelings might be on the lyrical content there is no arguing with the deep, throbbing and vibrant life Gnophos brings to Darkness and Light. An pair of opening tracks that are as black metal as they come. Thundering riffs, savage drumming, demonic vocals…it’s all here.

The horrendous weight of the crushing heaviness pushes down with the spoken word style of Judgement Day, the post-style rhythm of Logos, the unrelenting vibrancy of He Who Is and the blazing fire of The Great High Priest. All very good songs on a very good album.

It closes the doors to its darkness with Alpha and Omega, a pulsating sac of heavy and brazen black metal.

Γνόφος (Gnophos) – Κατάνυξη (Katanixi) Full Track Listing:

1. Γνόφος (Darkness)
2. Φως (Light)
3. Η Ημέρα της Κρίσεως (Judgement Day)
4. Λόγος (Logos)
5. Ο Παλαιός των Ημερών (Ancient of Days)
6. Ο Ων (He Who Is)
7. Ο Μέγας Αρχιερεύς (The Great High Priest)
8. Άλφα και Ωμέγα (Alpha and Omega)

You can order the album here via Bandcamp.