Artist: Infernal Storm
Country: Greece
Label: Askio Productions
Formats: Cassette EP
Year: 2026
Although the Greek Black Metal band Infernal Storm was conceived back in 2020 and have a few shortplayers behind them, it seems the band is preparing for bigger things in the past few months. Not only has this new EP, entitled ‘Winter Of The Ancient Wrath’, been released, but the band has also recently undergone a major overhaul, resulting in a completely new line-up in which only Agis Tzoukopoulos, the founding member of Infernal Storm, remains from the original line-up. This should be the start of greater things to come…
Nevertheless, the arrival of three new musicians hasn’t significantly altered Infernal Storm’s sound. This may be because the songs were written before the personnel changes, so we’ll have to wait for Infernal Storm’s next release to hear how these three musicians, with experience in bands such as Triumpher, Blasfemator and Valon Vinter, will make their mark on the band.
This means that we now get to hear just Infernal Storm, as was the case on their earlier EPs. The difference is that ‘Winter Of The Ancient Wrath’ is a step up in terms of quality and creativity. This may be down to Agis’s natural development as a musician, but his relatively recent joining of Kawir and Triumpher (No Remorse Records) will certainly have contributed to this. A
The tracks are more dynamic and suspenseful, with each song’s structure comprising various layers and relying on a stronger Heavy Metal framework than before, giving the whole a slightly more cohesive and balanced feel. Especially the more pronounced Heavy Metal basis of the tracks are a true enrichment of the compositions.
For those who are new to the band, Infernal Storm isn’t quite the typical Greek Black Metal band. At least, it has very little to do with the sound of Rotting Christ, Necromantia or Varathron. There is a well-developed sense for melodicism and dramatic song structures, but it’s far closer to Black Metal played in the northern parts of Europe; yet without sounding exactly like some band or scene in general. With its frequent blasting parts and the slower, more melancholic sections they do reflect some of Greece’s epic Black Metal history, but there is far more going on within Infernal Storm’s world.
Last but not least, the production, courtesy of Achilleas Κalantzis (Varathron and Katavasia) is powerful and punchy, highlighting basically every little detail and all instruments of this 18-minute EP. I can imagine that it is a tad too clean for purists, but it actually serves the music of Infernal Storm very well. All in all I think we can see this latest little piece of work as the re-start of a band that is worth to keep an eye on.
