Nearly twenty years ago, in the city of Ioannina, Greece, a small group of musicians simply called themselves Villagers of Ioannina City—likely because they chose to pour all their creativity and inspiration into their music rather than into choosing a name! History doesn’t say whether moving somewhere else would spell the end of the band; however, it has shown us that their success and fame have only grown since their last studio album, Age of Aquarius (2019—it’s been a long time coming), filling ever-larger venues with their unique blend of progressive rock, metal, stoner rock, traditional music, and psychedelic rituals. The villagers are now respected even by the most discerning city dwellers, and their new album, Venceremos (which can be translated as “we will win,” in reference to Salvador Allende), presents itself as a concept album centered on exile and resistance, set in a dystopian universe, and a call to rid ourselves of modern gods and kings to reclaim our freedom.
You can feel all of this right away, starting with Home and its nine minutes: Villagers of Ioannina City has earned a well-deserved reputation as masters of sound. They know how to take their time building tracks rich in ideas, narrative developments, and cleverly crafted contrasts. This craftsmanship never descends into showy self-indulgence but, on the contrary, serves the emotions and the message, with Alex Karametis’s clear voice acting as the ideal vehicle. The same could be said of the folk elements: trust us on this, we’re the first to run away at the mere mention of bagpipes! Yet their use is always subtle and appropriate, adding an extra layer of soul and melancholy—something that evokes both the nostalgic longing for a distant home and the somber atmosphere of a funeral—and works wonderfully with these psychedelic, Tool-esque rhythms.
Little by little, something simmers beneath the surface of Venceremos—a seething rage, a tension that grows increasingly palpable as the atmosphere thickens. Then the rebellion erupts: Venceremos is an album that would almost seem bellicose if it weren’t so elegant—a fusion of infectious groove and triumphant soaring melodies. It must be something Hellenic about it—a bit like Rotting Christ setting extreme metal aside. Villagers of Ioannina City has a knack for making us turn up the volume during the choruses, delivering that galvanizing jolt of energy, but without leaving behind the few ghosts that haunt the album. After the energy of Ghosts in the Sky and the title track, The Ruiner stands out in particular thanks to its darker mood. Menacing and sinister, it possesses a heaviness rarely heard from Villagers of Ioannina City, resulting in a vicious and exhilarating track that confirms that, ultimately, the band is most captivating when it takes the time to deviate from its more “catchy” formulas: the closing sequence of Epitaph and Requiem further reinforces the feeling that it is through nuance that the Greeks produce their most beautiful surprises and their most formidably effective blends of influences.
What commands respect is the talent with which the band manages to create music that is familiar enough to immediately draw us in, yet possesses a strong personality that makes their work recognizable and unique. Here again, there’s a sense of humility and restraint: Villagers of Ioannina City skillfully sidestep easy clichés and don’t try to crassly flaunt their craftsmanship by shoving it in our faces to convince us of their genius. Things unfold organically, and it’s entirely possible to appreciate Venceremos right away, without trying to dissect it down to its finest details. Yet it is with repeated listens that the album reveals its depths and its power to captivate becomes clear—between its bold, defiant statements and its more experimental impulses, and its ability to blend expansive, open music with something more intimate and deeply rooted in the musicians’ DNA.
