Deviser

The Greek black metal scene has been so prolific, with so many amazing bands, that it merits revisiting time and time again. Beyond the big three of Rotting Christ, Necromantia, and Varathron, so many great bands have made an impact on world black metal. I've already discussed Zemial, but DEVISER--from the island of Crete--is too important to overlook.

At the outset--and for the first few years of existence--Deviser was essentially a one-man band. Main man Matt Hnaras would recruit session musicians when the need arose to round out the band (including musicians from other Greek black metal bands, like Varathron and Asfyx). These session musicians played on early demos such as 1990's Forbidden Knowledge and Psychic Completion.

Here is the 1990 demo Forbidden Knowledge in its entirety

Deviser's early sound can best be characterized as an eerily atmospheric old-school style with a heavy thrash influence. That being said, the midpaced riffing and mellow guitar tone definitely bear a resemblance to the style that would one day become known as the "hellenic style".

By 1994, Matt Hnaras had recruited a full-time band, and Deviser began to enter a new phase. While the 1994 EP The Revelation of the Higher Mysteries was still firmly rooted in the old-school style of the demos, they began to experiment with adding synths soon thereafter. This led to a decidedly different take on hellenic black metal.

"Threnody" (from Unspeakable Cults) is one of their best-known songs

The synths helped give Deviser's black metal a sound which seemed to be a fusion of hellenic black metal and more symphonic fare. Their first full-length album---1996's Unspeakable Cults---is a landmark in that regard. Some people have gone so far to say they owe their sound to what Emperor was doing at the time (1994's In the Nightside Eclipse), but that strikes me as a lazy characterization. There's more going on here.

1998's Transmission to Chaos gave us this gem, "Transcendent Beauty"

Over the next couple albums (1998's Transmission to Chaos and 2002's Running Sore), Deviser's sound remained a version of this symphonic-infused hellenic black metal. A lot of the midpaced riffing and song structures are highly reminiscent of something you might hear off of Non Serviam or His Majesty at the Swamp. Yet, at the same time, there are passages that clearly owe a debt--in terms of tempo and aura--to Norwegian symphonic stylings.

"From the Starry Voids" is a choice track from Running Sore

 Deviser has said in interviews that they don't approach the writing of an album with any specific 'sound' or 'style' in mind. And technically, they may be right. However, there are certain things one can come to expect from Deviser, such as melodic elements, symphonic passages, and eerie gothic style.

Select Discography:

Forbidden Knowledge (demo) (1990)

Psychic Completion (demo) (1990)

Into His Unknown (demo) (1993)

The Revelation of the Higher Mysteries EP (1994)

Thy Blackest Love (demo) (1996)

Unspeakable Cults (full-length) (1996)

Transmission to Chaos (full-length) (1998)

Running Sore (full-length) (2002)

Next time: FALKENBACH