81db - A Blind Man's Dream

Ouzo, baklava, gyros, and now metal? Man, those Greeks never quit innovating stuff.One of the coolest things about modern metal is the sheer amount of diversity in its influences and musical permutations. Such is certainly the case with Italy's 81db and their latest effort, A Blind Man's Dream. Founded by guitarist Kostas Ladopoulos, the band interfuses modern alternative metal with the folk music of Ladopoulos' native Greece in a very natural way. The result is a unique and fascinating sound that works well in a heavy context.

Since their forming in 2006, the band has released two previous albums and gained a good following in Europe and it's easy to see why. It took me a while to realize that acoustic parts were almost exclusively played on a bouzouki, having no problem being juxtaposed with the more energetic heavy rhythyms. In fact I honestly didn't even realize what was going on musically until read the bio on the band. Going back to those parts of the songs and listening again I could hear the very traditional Greek melodies and marvelled at how well they blended into this modern metal music. It's really rather amazing. Dig the intro of Sirens and how the balls and chunk™ kicks in at 0:14 for good example of how this all works.

Thematically, the album's narrative is based on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, though I've never seen the movie and know nothing about the story. But the music is what stands out, at times even sounding progressive, almost like a European version of Tool. It's fresh, heavy and invigorating - everything I enjoy about good metal music.

The Bottom Line: Opa! 81db is another great example of how metal transcends geopolitical boundaries (which makes it such a fascinating musical genre), and their blending of traditional Greek folk music with modern alternative metal is nothing short of genius. Looking for something different? Check this out.

Songs To Drink Ouzo To In Your Leather Foustanella: Manicomium, Sirens, When The Cat's Away

- Genghis would love to own an authentic bouzouki...