In recent years, the Greek countryside has really gotten into the game, and there are some great live shows happening in several cities across Greece. One of the shows I couldn’t miss was the last stop of FADING ECHOES’ “Shadow Over Greece” tour at the historic Café Santan in Volos, which marked the end of the cycle of their first album, “Shadow Of Another.”
Before the live show, promises had been made… that it would be a satisfying two-hour set, that songs and the cover of the upcoming album would be presented, and that we would hear some favorite covers. The promises were kept to the fullest and then some. In front of an almost full Café Santan, FADING ECHOES took the stage shortly after 10 p.m. and, of course, started with songs about the five stages of grief, accompanied by related lyric videos, since this album is one of those where the lyrics really matter. From there, they launched into a mix of old and new songs, as well as several covers of favorite bands such as SOEN, ANATHEMA, SAVATAGE, DREAM THEATER, KATATONIA, and EVERGREY. Somewhere in the middle of the set, they unveiled the cover of their upcoming album, which will be called “A Wish Unspoken,” and we got a good taste of it after hearing three songs.
Setlist
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
- Fragile Dreams (ANATHEMA cover)
- Lethean (KATATONIA cover)
- A Wish Unspoken
- Monarch (SOEN cover)
- Caving In
- The First Step Forward
- Forsaken (DREAM THEATER cover)
- At The Dead End
- Now What You See (SAVATAGE cover)
- King Of Errors (EVERGREY cover)
- Rumination
- Another Feeble Lie
- The Final Act
Having attended the first, last, and a couple more of FADING ECHOES live shows, I can confidently say that their improvement on stage is spectacular, mainly in terms of the comfort and ease they have acquired. In fact, for the first time, we heard the voices of the two guitarists, Giorgos Theodoropoulos and Petros Printezis, singing backup vocals on one song. Vasilis Sarou played a leading role, as FADING ECHOES use keyboards as a main instrument in their compositions rather than as a supplement, and Theocharis Theocharakis set the tone with his drums. Dimitris Stratikis easily pulled off the two-hour set, even performing a few songs belonging to some of the most important voices in metal. The sound was excellent, the video projection made the band’s performance even more complete, and the audience participated and enjoyed themselves.
This is how the cycle of “Shadow Of Another” came to an end, an experiential and difficult album for Dimitris Stratikis, as he confided during the live show. Music is psychotherapy for all of us, and “Shadow Of Another” is an ideal remedy for those who have experienced a significant loss in their lives.
Live Correspondent – Photos – Videos: Kostas Boudoukos
