Album Review: Ὁπλίτης – Παραμαινομένη (Hoplites – Paramainomeni)

Band: Ὁπλίτης | Album: Παραμαινομένη | Genre: Black metal, Progressive metal | Year: 2024

From: Ningbo, China | Label: Independent

For fans of: Spectral Lore, Krallice

Bandcamp

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about the contemporary Chinese musical scene. Within the Sinosphere, the only acts I’ve got any familiarity with are Zhaoze–a post-rock act I’ve covered which is based out of Guangzhou–and Taiwan’s Chthonic, a relatively well-known metal band. I did recently run across WV Sorcerer Productions on Bandcamp, a French label which specializes in underground Chinese psychedelia, but I haven’t dug too deeply into that yet. The point I’m trying to make is that I don’t know what current trends or strains are running through Chinese music.

Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites) is a Ningbo-based band I’ve been aware of for about a year. I ran across their debut album Ψευδομένη (Psevdomeni, Eng. Counterfeit) early last year. It’s a striking, smothering technical black metal record that utilizes dissonance in an interesting way. The fact that all the song titles and everything else are in Greek also made it pop out to me on Bandcamp when scrolling through the “progressive metal” tag. They put out two more albums over the span of 2023, but none of them really felt like a proper fit for this site. Παραμαινομένη (Paramainomeni, Eng. Perpetuated), though, is their most overtly proggy release yet.

After a gentle acoustic intro, “Μῆνιν ἄειδε, θεὰ παραμαινομένη ἐμοῦ…” (“Stay, O God, Stay with Me…”) explodes with frenetic guitars and squealing saxophone. Thrash influences are evident here, and there’s a surprising amount of groove between the more avant-garde sections. Hoplites have tagged this album as “blackened zeuhl” on Bandcamp, and while I wouldn’t necessarily use that label, they’ve definitely moved in a zeuhl-adjacent direction. Along with the saxophone, there are quieter moments with a ritualistic vibe, and bass gets its turn in the spotlight a few times. The drums are flashier and jazzier than on most black metal releases, and the repetition utilized in zeuhl jibes naturally with black metal.

“Παραδειγματιζομενος μουσική” (“Sampled Music”, or possibly “Exemplified Music”, per Google Translate) bursts into a squalling maelstrom from its first second, but this harshness is contrasted beautifully against a smooth, melodious saxophone. Near this song’s midpoint, things slow down a bit, and it provides a dreamy, hypnotic atmosphere I like a lot. As the pace picks back up, there’s a wonderful, slightly dissonant guitar solo that is dramatic and engaging, and the backing track evolves with it, rather than just blasting along.

A (relatively) slower death metal riff opens “Ἡ τῶν λυσσημάτων ἄγγελος” (“The Angel of Rage”). It chugs along powerfully before descending into an oddly-metered verse that would do Atheist proud. Meshuggah-inspired competing meters emerge, as well, and there’s a nasty, biting, machine gun-like quality to the synchronized guitar and drums. This is the flashiest and most technical cut on the album so far. 

A droning saxophone squeal introduces “Συμμαινόμεναι Διονύσῳ Ἐλευθέριῳ” (“Agreeing with Dionysos Eleftheri”), and from that sonic haze emerges the zeuhl-iest passage on the album yet. It’s a buzzing cyclone of enveloping guitar, jazzy bass licks, and powerful drumming that manages to be oddly meditative. After a snarling verse, detuned piano leads into an exciting, all-over-the-place passage, featuring wailing saxes, fretboard acrobatics, and odd, chanted vocals.

The next track has a nearly identical title (“Συμμιαινόμεναι Διονύσῳ Ἐλευθέριῳ” – there’s an extra iota in there, but Google Translate gives the same translation), but it is more straightforward black metal. There’s a surprising synth theme near the end that adds a nice bit of variation. It’s a good song, but it’s definitely the least-necessary one on the record.

The album ends on “Ἄπαυστα θεία μανία” (“Unrelenting Divine Fury”), a fitting song title for this release. It fades in on a slow saxophone solo, but that soon dissolves in favor of some sort of acoustic plucked instrument. This minimal, understated setting persists for most of the song, and it’s a nice change of pace. It drags on a bit longer than it needs to, but it’s not terribly overlong. In the last 90 seconds, though, metallic rage storms back in, giving this record an impactful ending.

Παραμαινομένη is a fantastic release. It is brimming with furious, intricate riffs and surprising shifts in mood, tempo, and meter. I never expected to find a Hellenophilic Chinese black metal band with progressive leanings, but Ὁπλίτης has subverted my expectations quite thoroughly.

Score: 91/100