Calyces: Progressive Metal’s Newest Heroes
It’s not often a band arrives on the scene feeling like the finished product as much as CALYCES have. Formed in 2018, the Greek progressive metal four-piece have just released their debut album, Impulse To Soar. The record is an expansive, technically impressive 58 minutes which harks back to some of the best prog metal releases of the 00s in particular. Like many great bands, they’re a group founded on long friendships. “I knew [vocalist/guitarist] Manthos [Stergiou] since 2007″ says guitarist Giannis Golfis. “A couple of years ago we were out having some pints and he was telling me about his vision for CALYCES and I was like, “man this is totally what I wanna do.” He told me he was searching for a guitar player, so here I am!”
They soon enlisted two other friends from the Greek scene, bassist Stelios Tragos and drummer Alex Stavropoulos. Together, they set about making Stergiou’s vision a reality. “Manthos is the mastermind behind the whole project” continues Golfis. “He actually wrote the whole album by himself – guitar parts, some of the drums, all the lyrics and stuff like that. Then we came together and put our efforts in on the little details.”
The band were quick to catch the eye of some respected names, landing a support slot with TESSERACT in Athens long before they’d even put out the record. “That was mental. The guitarist of TESSERACT came up to me and he was like “hello I’m James,” and I was like “yes I know who you are mate!” It was fun – they were really laidback dudes and we would talk about gear and guitars and stuff like that – you know, nerdy shit. It was really good because the show was sold out. People really enjoyed and dug our material from the way we saw it on stage, and TESSERACT were so tight… It was a really good experience to play with them and I wish we could play with them again in the near future.”
Golfis’ eagerness to play live is a theme which comes up a lot. “Everyone in the music industry right now is like in the freezer. You can’t do anything, you can just keep on practicing at your place, doing rehearsals, or start to write new material for your next album or stuff like that. We wish we could play some shows. We have the urge to communicate our music with people!”
As conversation turns to the album itself, it’s impossible not to talk about the stunning guest spots on the record. The album’s seventh track Unfair Labour ends on a long saxophone solo from SHINING’s Jørgen Munkeby. “That is the most KING CRIMSON moment on the album and I love this moment. [Munkeby] is a lovely dude and we could collaborate with him really easily. He was perfect.” Elsewhere, the band are joined by SPINELESS’ Chrysa Tsaltampasi, who performs a powerful vocal solo on ninth track Beyond Sight. “She’s a friend of ours and it was really really easy to collaborate with her. The influence on that part was like something between PINK FLOYD and MUSE. I think she did like two or three takes and it was like: “that’s it, we got it, it’s perfect.”
Golfis also speaks highly of the album’s producer, Alan Douches – “he’s the master of masters!” But while CALYCES have definitely benefited from the help of their friends, it’s important not to take away from the fact that at the heart of Impulse To Soar is a deeply capable, forward-thinking four-piece. Often, bands who create progressive music like CALYCES can fall into a trap of sounding overly technical and even inhuman. That’s not something these guys struggle with though. All of their songs feel like actual songs, and there are many moments which are sure to get heads banging as well as jaws dropping.
“The only secret, and it’s not a secret, is that you have to practice your parts that you are gonna record. I really enjoy playing prog music but with a human element. [We] don’t have the crystal clean production of the djent bands, because it doesn’t have any character I think. It doesn’t compliment the material that you compose. That’s nothing against djent and those new age modern prog bands, I really dig some. But I think it wouldn’t compliment our material.”
As well as feeling intensely human, Impulse To Soar is definitely a record where listeners can tell that the band themselves are having fun. “We don’t see it as a job and it’s not the thing we make money out of… We enjoy playing this music and we enjoy each other’s company because we’re friends. It all comes in a natural way and in a way that when we don’t go for a practice for a week we have the urge to meet again and play the songs and have a good time. I think it’s the most fundamental thing, to find bandmates that have the same vision as you and who see it from the same perspective.”
It’s hard to pick highlights from a record as consistently good as Impulse To Soar. Golfis mentions a few tracks, including the GOJIRA-esque rager Ego Dries Up The Ocean, but ultimately he views the album as a complete work. “I really dig the whole album. All of the songs have something to say. I think it’s a complete album and not like 10 or 11 tracks that we just had randomly and put them together to release an album.” He’s not wrong. Despite its long runtime, Impulse To Soar is one of those rare records that passes by in a flash. It’s never a slog, and its rich details continue to reward with every listen.
Much like pretty much everyone at the moment, it’s difficult to know exactly what’s next for CALYCES. Golfis mentions the idea of recording and releasing live studio footage, as well as alluding to new music – “a couple of weeks ago we started exchanging riffs…” – and once again expresses a keen desire to get back to playing shows. One thing is clear though: whatever comes next from CALYCES will be well worth our attention and excitement.
Impulse To Soar is out now via self-release.
Like CALYCES on Facebook.