🎶 Black Soul Horde
🌎 Athens, Greece
📀 Symphony of Chaos
® Vinyl Store
📅 31/10/2025
Athens-based Heavy Metal band BLACK SOUL HORDE returns with the epic “Symphony Of Chaos,” four years after the successful “Horrors From The Void,” which got them to stages like Release Athens Festival in 2022 alongside JUDAS PRIEST and CRADLE OF FILTH.
Now, even more mature, they have decided to evolve and perhaps experiment a little, turning their attention to more Power Metal paths without, of course, losing their identity and the characteristics for which they have been embraced by their fans. This shift was made possible thanks to the abilities of the band’s singer, Jim Kotsis, who reached higher octaves and gives the songs a slightly retro but definitely very Power Metal aesthetic.
Lyrically, BLACK SOUL HORDE have always drawn on mythology, fantasy, etc., and on “Symphony Of Chaos” they choose horror and mythical monsters to dress up their melodies. A characteristic example is the song “Lady Of Shadows,” which is dedicated to the Mother of all monsters, Echidna. The album would not be complete without the endless source of inspiration for decades, George Romero, with the parade of the undead (“Death’s Parade”).
All this terrifying storytelling is accompanied by dynamic melodies with lots of riffs and some amazing guitar solos, such as in “Lady Of Shadows”, which opens the album perfectly, or in “In The Realm Of Silver Light”. The narrative -spoken parts in “Julian Graves” (and not only) are a very interesting addition, reinforcing the feeling that the listener is reading a horror book or watching a horror movie. Especially if you pay attention to the lyrics, you can easily see the song come to life before your eyes with the hero Julian, a child different from the others, being dragged into the forest on a moonless night and beheaded. However, his spirit returns from the dead with a thirst for revenge.
The album moves at high speed, with the drums setting the pace with a few exceptions such as the excellent “Dance Of The Eternal,” which slows down at some point, giving the listener time to digest what they have heard so far. What did I miss from the album? Perhaps a mid-tempo (or even slow-tempo) atmospheric song that would create a more claustrophobic atmosphere, which is present in horror stories anyway.
The truth is that the quality and consistency of BLACK SOUL HORDE over the years, as well as the careful steps they have taken along the way, were a guarantee for their next discographic step. “Symphony Of Chaos” is a natural evolution for the band, retaining many of the elements that made them beloved by the metalheads, but also adding others in a natural and welcome effort by the band to take their music a step forward.
P.S.: Amazing artwork by Graphic No Jutsu that captures the essence of the album!
★ 8,5/10
✍🏻 Kostas Boudoukos
