VILLAGERS
OF IOANNINA CITY – Age Of Aquarius (2019)
Napalm Records
Magic exists, and it exists in a form that is far from
spectacular, far removed from the kind of spectacle that dazzles you for a
moment only to be forgotten the next. It exists in a much more profound way, in
a manner that is almost alchemical.
Just as the alchemists claimed that any metal could be
transmuted into gold, so too do Villagers of Ioannina City, on Age of Aquarius,
transform seemingly disparate musical genres into something unified, cohesive,
and narratively compelling.
On Age of Aquarius, the progressive rock sensibilities
of PINK FLOYD and TOOL converge with the sounds of stoner rock and doom metal,
enriched by elements of heavy metal and, at times, epic passages that perhaps
evoke the mid-tempo grandeur of bands such as MANOWAR and BATHORY. These
elements become even more pronounced on their latest album, Venceremos. Nor are
blues-rock experiments absent, as the track “Millennium Blues” demonstrates.
All these sounds are woven together by the sometimes commanding, sometimes
understated presence of the clarinet and the bagpipe, instruments rooted in the
musical traditions of Epirus and beyond. Personally, having roots in Florina, I
also discerned echoes of the traditional music of Western Macedonia in “Dance
of Night.”
Villagers of Ioannina City offer a sonic ritual, an
album that transports you without severing your connection to reality. An album
that celebrates life, while also reminding us of the need to struggle, to stand
together, and to strive to make that life better. It is the kind of musical
experience one encounters only in the work of truly great progressive rock
bands, The Wall by PINK FLOYD being one such example.
After all, according to astrological and esoteric
traditions, the Age of Aquarius is the new era that succeeds the Age of Pisces.
It is associated with technology and innovation, with an emphasis on science,
the internet, and artificial intelligence. It is also associated with
collectivism: a shift from “I” to “we,” in which communities and networks take
the place of traditional hierarchies. Finally, it represents spirituality and
freedom, a movement away from rigid dogmas and towards the pursuit of
individual spiritual expression. No one can say with certainty exactly when
this new age begins. In other words, it is an era of transformation and human
betterment, and this album seems, in its own way, to serve that very ideal.
An album whose lengthy compositions never become
tiresome. Instead, like a seed that finds fertile soil, it grows and takes root
within you, deepening its hold with every successive listen.
Nick Parastatidis
