Cave of Ephyras... To the Infernal Fields

Tatir is one of those Greek bands which was formed in the mid 90ies and after one or two very good releases, we lost their traces. Tatir was a three member band from Athens, which was formed in 1994, released two demos, Dark Autumn Nights in 1995 and Fons Acheroni in 1996, and after that it was disbanded. Recently they released those demos again in a compilation with the unreleased EP that they were about to release in 1997, and it is a good opportunity by this presentation of their demos, more people to get to know Tatir.

In the band’s first release, Dark Autumn Nights there are three tracks mainly of mid paced atmospheric Greek Black Metal with many fast passages. In this demo the band appears to still be searching their personal sound between the influences by the Norwegian scene and the Greek sound of the early 90ies. However this search creates a very good result. The riffs both in the slower, more atmospheric and in the faster parts are very interesting, much variety and they keep the listener’s interest from the beginning to the end. The guitars are those that they rule the compositions with their very good performance while the drums and the bass give the depth that the compositions need. Impressive is the use of the keyboards. They exist in few and specific parts inside the tracks but they achieve to make the atmosphere and the feeling very intense. The vocals depending on the feeling they become from heavy Greek style vocals to harsh screams. The production is dark, atmospheric and bassy.

The second demo, Fons Acheroni consists of only two tracks of Greek Black Metal. Although two tracks are very few in order to draw conclusions, here it appears that the band has matured and has found its own sound. The music that they play surely is influenced greatly by the leading Greek bands, but they evolve those influences by adding fast to hyper speedy riffs, epic – atmospheric keyboards and Heavy Metal passages. The riffs are awesome, other time very fast, other time mid paced, with many changes tied together without tiring the listener. The guitars are technical and at the same time dirty, on one hand delivering the riffs clearly but without ruining the atmosphere. The bass and the drums fill in the nice scenery which is created by the guitars, giving the extend and depth that the tracks need. The vocals in the fast parts are harsh, while in the slower parts they become heavier reminding of Greek bands of the early nineties. Both in here the keyboards exist in specific parts of the tracks, mainly in bridges, with the purpose to make the atmosphere more intense. The production is dirty and bassy, it creates the dark sound that fits to the feeling of the compositions.

The unreleased EP contains three tracks, one intro which reminds ancient Greece played on flute, their track “Vast Land Of The Eternal Torments” with a different orchestration and a new track. The band in this release follows the same path with the difference that the use of the keyboards is more intense. Tatir in this release also, they show their talent concerning the composition and their quality and they leave many expectation for the future, unmet as the time has shown.

The material that Tatir has left might not be much and their journey in Black Metal to be completed too soon, but it is true, Greek Black Metal of high quality. Now concerning “Cave of Ephyras… To the Infernal”, it offers the band’s complete discography, with quite good sound, photographs and information about the band. This compilation brings back to life after fifteen years the diamonds that Tatir released and never gained the attention that they deserved. All the fans of the true Greek Black Metal sound must have this release in their collection.