(CD/LP, Napalm Records, 2026)
Wisdom can arrive from the most unexpected places. It is not found exclusively in books or in the words of older, more experienced people. In fact, I believe the most valuable pieces of wisdom often come from sources that never intended to offer any in the first place. This is why we should always keep our minds open to gaining knowledge and wisdom. Learning is not simply a process; it is a way of life. Music is one of those amazing sources because it combines wisdom with pleasure, sometimes in ways we could never have anticipated. VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY have emerged from the studio with “Venceremos”, arriving seven years after the excellent “Age Of Aquarius”. And no, I am not counting the live recording as a studio album. How does wisdom relate to “Venceremos”? Allow me to explain.
At first glance, the Jolly Roger-looking flag on the album's cover artwork and the hopeful title (which translates to “we will win”) give the impression of standing your ground and continuing to fight. Both are powerful messages, but they are merely the invitation to dig deeper. And you absolutely should. Following the short Sci-Fi introduction, “Alienation”, the album transitions into the mid-tempo “Home”, where an excellent guitar riff begins building tension as Alex Karametis starts asking some difficult questions. “What went wrong and what did you do?” is the key that, in my opinion, unlocks the entire album. The song grows heavier, and before you know it, the voice of Giorgos Seferis emerges, reciting one of his poems. Its opening line, “This sun was mine and yours; we shared it”, connects with the album's message in a beautiful way.
You can almost feel your chest swelling with determination, and “Ghosts In The Sky” rewards that feeling with soaring bagpipe melodies and lyrics promising deliverance from above. Depending on your inclination, whether you see the glass as half-full or half-empty, you may interpret these words as a promise that some unknown force will eventually come to save us. But is that really what the song is suggesting? Is this the precipice toward which the music is leading us? Keep listening, and you will reach your own conclusions. Perhaps this is the first piece of wisdom waiting to be discovered.
The title track picks up the pace, reinforcing the promise of a positive outcome if one keeps fighting and refuses to let the banner touch the ground. The transition from the more abstract and cosmic themes of “Age Of Aquarius” to looking inward and confronting issues that affect us all is becoming increasingly evident. This change is also reflected in the music, which feels more direct without sacrificing the layers of vocal harmonies and traditional instrumentation that VILLAGERS have mastered so expertly. Most importantly, these elements never become an end in themselves. They serve the songs and, ultimately, the message.
The bagpipes introduce “The Ruiner”, and the rhythm section delivers a headbanging groove before the electric guitars dim the lights to make room for the unsettling opening question: “I can't remember, how did we end up in here?” Did you see this turn of events coming? I am sure you didn't. But hold your ground, because the music will not let you fall. Or perhaps it will, only to help you stand up again. The heaviness gradually intensifies, leading toward a pounding conclusion with the defiant declaration “No gods, no kings.” Suddenly, the promise of salvation from above takes on an entirely different meaning.
The bass takes center stage on “No Fear”, with the guitars assuming the lead during the chorus as Karametis sings “If I close my eyes, I don't care.” The bagpipe melody accompanies the declaration “I will show no fear”, bringing us back to the recurring theme of standing our ground. The snare-driven finale feels like the inevitable destination of everything that preceded it, a fitting conclusion to a song built on determination and defiance.
The sounds of sea waves and seagulls are soon swept away by another killer riff, introducing one of my two absolute favorites on the album, “Here And Now”. By this point, you need the tempo to accelerate and the guitars to become heavier, and the line “All your life, facing shadows” grants that wish in the most satisfying way. Hellenic traditional music lives and breathes through the rhythm section, and you cannot help but join Karametis in declaring “We lived all our lives with heart and honor.” The promise that “we'll be victorious that day” fills you with determination, while simultaneously leaving you wondering what that day might actually represent. What does victory look like? And who gets to decide when it has been achieved? The guitar solo near the end is the cherry on top, before the instrumental “Epitaph” dims the lights once again.
Here, the bagpipes sing a mournful melody, preparing the ground for what I consider the album's strongest composition, “Requiem”. The bass is loud and commanding, while the lyrics paint a picture you can almost feel rather than see: “And now the time is calling, calls for me to go, like a faded photograph, down to the waterfall.” There is something deeply moving about the atmosphere, as if the entire journey has been leading to this moment. The music carries the emotional weight of everything that came before, but it is the lyrics that deliver the final revelation. “Going back, remember all, what do you feel?” There it is. The pinnacle of the wisdom that has been unfolding throughout this hour-long journey. To me, this simple question reveals what being victorious truly means. It is not necessarily about defeating an enemy, overcoming an obstacle, or reaching some glorious destination. It is about looking back at your life and knowing that you remained true to your beliefs, caused as little pain to others as possible, and never willingly surrendered your integrity. It is about being able to face yourself without regret over the person you chose to become. That, to me, is genuine victory. And if everyone were striving toward such an accomplishment, perhaps there would be no need to call upon any ghosts in the sky to save us.
Following the lyrics and allowing the music to guide me made me reflect on how the message of “Venceremos” translates into my own soul and mind. That is the real reward, the piece of wisdom I feel I have gained from VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY. Was this what the band intended? I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. This was my journey, one that the album made possible by bringing to the surface thoughts and beliefs I already carried within me, but had perhaps not nurtured enough. Sometimes wisdom is not about discovering something entirely new. It is about recognizing something you already knew but had somehow forgotten to appreciate.
For this reason, “Venceremos” earns a solid ten, and a place on the same shelf as “Age Of Aquarius”. Two extraordinary albums that shine their light in different directions, each illuminating something worth discovering. What a beautiful thing music is.
10/10
Links:
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Tracklist:
01. Alienation
02. Home
03. Ghosts In The Sky
04. Venceremos
05. The Ruiner
06. No Fear
07. Here And Now
08. Epitaph
09. Requiem