Helots

While mostly remembered for its Death/Black (DEATH COURIER, UNHOLY THRONE, etc.) and Hardcore Punk scenes, the city of Patras was also home to a handful of more traditionally-oriented Metal bands. Among the latter we find the rather obscure Doom Metal band HELOTS, who were among the few Greek acts to perform in the style back in the early 1990s. Formed in June 1992 by the trio of Giannis Tsakonas (drums, vocals), Vassilis (bass, keyboards) and Giannis F. (guitars), HELOTS actually begun their career as a Death Metal band, but soon shifted to traditional Doom Metal while also making some changes in the lineup.

The sole recorded legacy of HELOTS is their 1993 demo tape, entitled “Entrance to the Shadowland” or just “Demo 93”. By the time of recording, the band consisted of Giannis T. (vocals, bass), Giannis F. (guitars) and Stelios (drums). A very rare item these days, the demo (featuring splendid artwork) was first printed in a run of fifty hand-numbered copies, with another 20 copies distributed later on. Stylistically, it follows in the vein of classic bands such as CANDLEMASS, but approached from a slightly more despondent and melancholic angle, further enhanced by the archaic production values and introspective guitar-playing of Giannis F. The demo’s third track, “Fear of Fear” was also included in the second volume of the excellent Power Feast tape compilation series.

Compilation appearances:
* Power Feast Vol. II [Cass, Comp, Numbered: Self-released (Mass Dementia Zine), 1993]