🎶 Misty Route
🌎Athens, Greece
📀 Ethos
® Bitume Prods
📅 20/03/2026

The truth is that the role of a music critic is often somewhat weird, especially when you have to write thoughts and (mainly) feelings about a new album by musicians with whom you’ve developed friendly relationships. MISTY ROUTE is such a case for me, but fortunately my task is made easier thanks to quality of their second full-length album, “Ethos”, released nearly five years after their debut, “Without A Trace.”

MISTY ROUTE took their time, enjoyed the journey of “Without A Trace”, gathered experiences and returned with an emotionally heavy album that speaks about social injustice, the decay of modern society, as well as the individual responsibility each of us carries. It is an album that clearly demonstrates the evolution of their sound, which has now become heavier, more focused, and incorporates elements from various genres, all under the already broad umbrella of Alternative Metal.

“Hail” stands out for its groovy, rhythmic riff, while “Last Night’s Dream” has a more furious and theatrical tone. The strongest element of the next track is, I believe, its very title, “Born With A Price Tag”, a phrase that describes a grim social reality where material goods hold more value than human beings. Add to that its catchy chorus, and you have one of the album’s highlights. However, with “Blind God”, MISTY ROUTE reach their own compositional Everest (until the next one), delivering a six-minute atmospheric epic. In just a few lines, the band examines the concept of God through the eyes of a child who cannot comprehend the violence and injustice surrounding us. The song’s standout feature is undoubtedly the addition of choral vocals, something they use for the first time in their career so far.

The second half of the album begins with “No Destination”, where Lefteris Saatsakis’ melodic guitar parts alternate with the violent outbursts of Konstantinos Kaloudis’ crushing drums. Giorgos Konomis’ bass ties everything together, providing the necessary depth and weight throughout the album. “The Corridor” starts with a melancholic southern rock feel before the intensity builds around the midpoint. Figuratively speaking, one could say the protagonist begins walking cautiously down a long, dark corridor and along the way confronts the tensions brought by life itself, with the end of the corridor symbolizing the inevitable biological end of a human being—one that forces them to face their actions. The penultimate track of “Ethos” is “Freedom”, one of the singles released previously. The rhythmic shifts continue and are further emphasized by progressive touches that are evident throughout the album. Finally, this emotional rollercoaster concludes with the intense “Dictator” (dedicated to a certain world leader from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean), which could easily fit on a SOEN album in every respect, as even Lefteris Saatsakis’ vocal performance bears some resemblance to Joel Ekelöf’s. The lyrics for this track were written by Kostas Bakopoulos, the band’s former drummer.

The involvement of Giorgos Prokopiou (MOTHER OF MILLIONS) in the mixing guarantees the final result, as well as the progressive influences mentioned earlier. The production was handled by the band themselves and is ideal, allowing each instrument the space to shine, while the cover artwork, created by Manthos Stergiou (Manster Design), perfectly complements the overall concept. With “Ethos”, MISTY ROUTE have taken a step forward in their career, enriched their sound without losing their identity and proved that music and musicians should also draw inspiration from social issues, leaving their mark.

★ 9/10
✍🏻 Kostas Boudoukos