Review by Sonny for Kawir - Αδράστεια (2020)

With the surety and songwriting chops of a true veteran outfit, Kawir relate the tales of ancient Greece's heroes and legends in a proud, paganistic celebration of their country's Golden Age. Apparently Adrasteia was the goddess of female revenge and the album takes as it's focus the heroic women of the old myths. I am not familiar with the band's back catalogue (yet) so am unable to comment as to where this album sits within their pantheon (pun intended), but taken in isolation, this is a superior slab of pagan black metal in a scene flooded with wearyingly mediocre acts. Sure, it's more than capable of a good blast, but there is so much more to it than that - the epic opening of the album as Tydeus sets the scene of sweeping coastal mountains and ships loaded with armed warriors seeking adventure, the folk-ritual of Colchis and it's guest vocal from Wardruna's Lindy Fay Hella, to name but two.
Despite Kawir's veteran status, this is not a band merely going through the motions, but sounds inventive and vital and is obviously the work of master craftsmen.