Desertomen

Hailing from Thessaloniki (Central Macedonia), DESERTOMEN counts as one of many promising Greek Heavy Metal bands to emerge during the early-to-mid 1990s. They were definitely an underground act, but also strong in character with a recognizable sound that remainedconsistent throughout their four years of existence.

The band formed in January 1996 and originally consisted of youngsters Stergios Theodosiou (vocals, guitars), Kostas Perperidis (guitars), Giorgos Hatziefraimidis (bass), Giannis Mallouchos (drums) and Stefanos Kamberis (keyboards). This was the lineup that later the same year recorded DESERTOMEN’s self-titled debut demo tape, presenting five original compositions + an introductory piece. Already at this stage, the band’s core sound was established, which can be roughly described as melodic Heavy/Power metal with a hint of 1970s Hard Rock that strikes a fine balance between robust rhythm riffing, keyboard lines and the unmistakable vocals of Stergios Theodosiou. He may not always hit the notes perfectly, but he has a nice timbre to his voice and a knack for supplying memorable melodic lines. Really, the same could be said for the band at large: the production may be rough (it’s basically a rehearsal recording), the musicianship still at a fairly basic level, etc., but they’ve got of character, which more than makes up for any eventual shortcomings.

Following the release of “Desertomen” (1996) and some gigging in the band’s local vicinities, Kostas Periperidis and Giorgos Hatziefraimidis were replaced by Dimitris Makrantonakis (guitars – DOL AMMAD, HAIL SPIRIT NOIR, WARDRUM, etc.) and Dimitris Kotantzis (bass), respectively. With the new lineup in place, DESERTOMEN recorded their second demo tape, “…What the Wind Saw…” (1997), which received favorable reviews in fanzines as well as being voted the best demo of the month in the Greek Metal Hammer. Striking while the iron was hot, a third demo tape was issued later the same year under the title “Necrical Dialogues” (1997), which again gave the band a good response in underground trad. Metal circles and led to the band participating in several gigs and festivals in their hometown. There’s apparently a one-track promo tape of the track “Divus Animus” (included on “Necrical Dialogues”) to be found as well, but we haven’t been able to find any tangible information regarding this release – except a notion from the band implying that the version included on “Necrical Dialogues” is superior to the promo track.

In 1998, DESERTOMEN released their final recording, this time as a five-track CD called “Sinthesis” (1998). It kept much of their previous sound intact while at the same time expanding their compositional toolbox. The band did some live performances, now with a new bass player called Chris Farmakis, but eventually folded in 2000. Except for Dimitris Makrantonakis, who has remained active in bands such as DOL AMMAD, HAIL SPIRIT NOIR, WARDRUM and many more, we’re not quite sure if any of the other guys have participated in any further metalllic activities.

As a sidenote, DESERTOMEN is one of the bands included on the cult tape compilation series “Fire and Steel”, put out by Warrior’s Lament Zine during the mid-1990s. Check it out!

Compilation appearances:
* Fire and Steel 1 [Cass, Comp: Self-released (Warrior’s Lament Zine), 1996]
* Vibes from Below [CD, Comp: Alone, 1999]