Nightstalker "Just A Burn" 2004****

I was pleasantly surprised to read that Nightstalker would play in nearby Rotterdam. It must have been almost 20 years since I last saw them - during the 90's I saw them play many festivals as well as support foreign bands (Uriah Heep come to mind). At the time Argy was still singing from behind his drums set, and they were considered to be Greece's first grunge band along with Honeydive, the band of an old collegemate of mine which I will present in a future post. Having not seen them for so long, and having left Greece a decade ago, I didn't know what to expect from the concert: had the band retained their original energy, and had they managed to outgrow their cult status? Well, the fact that they're touring Europe should be answer enough, but the welcome they received in Rotterdam confirmed it: There was quite a large turnout, mainly Greek expats most of whom were unborn when the band formed. The audience was really enthusiastic, slam-dancing, stage-diving and singing the lyrics out loud. The band played with passion and confidence, Argy moving freely center-stage now that he has a permanent drummer. The grey hair and beard suit him well, giving him the look of a rugged sort of psychedelic prophet. The very good support group Playgrounded is also worth a mention. They're a bunch of Greek guys currently based in Rotterdam, and they have a modprogressive/dark wave/metal sound somewhat reminiscent of Tool.

Although they predated "stoner" as a musical term, Nightstalker are nowadays labeled as a stoner, instead of grunge, rock band, which is I think more accurate - not just musically but in terms of lyrics. Until them, drugs were referred to purely in negative terms in Greek Rock. Nobody would admit enjoying getting stoned. Even notorious junkie Pavlos Sidiropoulos wrote anti-drugs songs, I even remember seeing him play an anti-drugs concert about a week before he died from a heroin overdose. Argy, on the other hand, is apparently quite happy about his drugs intake. Check out the lyrics on this album's opener "All Around (Satanic Drugs From Outer Space)": "So come on, we’re lost in space"/So come on, let’s burn it all/Just like a kick, right in your face/So come on, let’s fuck the world". I'd say that's celebratory rather than apologetic, wouldn't you? Musically Nightstalker have settled in their sound: it's the kind of hard rock usually refered to as stoner of desert rock. I know they hate these labels, so let's just say they have a dirty rock'n'roll sound with a funky groove, metallic riffs, and distorted Hendrix-like solos. The Stooges and Black Sabbath seem to be important influences, while contemporary soundalikes include Monster Magnet and Soundgarden. They rarely deviate from their established sound, the biggest exception here being the slow and spacey with whispered vocal "Shadows". I guess it's supposed to play a role similar to "Planet Caravan" in Sabbath's Paranoid, but it doesn't stand as well on its own. "Explode" and "Voodoo U Do" are heavy blues, while "Staripper" is more Stooges-like and "All Around" introduces the album with some Judas Priest-like riffage. Other details elevating some songs above the rest are the playful bass riff on "Line" and anthemic choruses of "Just A Burn" and "Don't Blow My High". Just A Burn was the band's first self-produced album (with a little help from Last Drive's Alex K) and the last one featuring Argy on drums. It's also the last one I had heard before the recent concert. Apparently they've released 4 more albums during the decade I've been away, but songs like "Just A Burn" and "Line" still figure among the highlights of their live set, 15 years later. A great band, and a great CD for all fans of Heavy Rock'n'Roll.

**** for All Around (Satanic Drugs From Outer Space), Just A Burn, Don't Blow My High, Line

*** for Voodoo U Do, Iron, Silver Shark, Explode, Staripper, Give It All, Shadows