Nightstalker
Superfreak

THE REVIEW

The Gods of Olympus were tired and bored. It was just an ordinary divine afternoon, nothing more. Meanwhile, humans persisted with their stupid and pathetic wars, pursued their utopian dreams of immortality, and made love. As always.

A shock was needed. Something to give them (the Gods) a reason for interest and entertainment amidst the now absolute Olympian flatness. So Ardo Stoneido, an eccentric God particularly attached to human affairs (legend has it he would often wander the Earth under false pretenses, drunk, seducing young lonely maidens in the night) decided to send three divine emissaries to our planet. To discover something to amuse the bored Gods. They were misled respectively and separately by false promises of rewards in Olympus, to be collected once the task assigned to him was fulfilled.

Argy, Andreas, and Tolis, these were the names of the emissaries, were sent separately to Earth. Unaware of Stoneido's game, they happened to meet by coincidence in Greece, after wandering the world in vain. Once together, however, they discovered the true task assigned to them by Ardo Stoneido.

The emissaries never returned to Olympus, condemning the Gods to eternal boredom.

Only Stoneido, a farsighted and attentive observer, managed to track down Argy, Andreas, and Tolis in September of the current year. And, like the one who writes this tale, he was struck...

... This is the true story of NIGHTSTALKER (terrestrial nickname of Ardo Stoneido, hence the noted semantic derivation). A Greek band active since the early 90s, having undergone various lineup changes, they reached the release of their latest effort. "Superfreak" comes out under the protective wing of Meteor City (no need for further explanation, right?) and marks a qualitative leap in mixing and production for the band in question. It's best enjoyed with a good stereo at high volume or, even better, with quality earbuds or headphones. CATEGORICAL.

Their sound matrix is a concentrate of well-known influences, ranging from Sabbathian Hard Rock to Stonerrock by Monster Magnet, the early Motorhead, and including other psychedelic influences as well. Fundamentally, however, their sound is well-defined and does not lean too much towards other groups. Special mention goes to the voice of Argy, a founding member (initially Singer-Drummer) and the only survivor since the group's inception. A voice that would not look out of place among sacred monsters. The tracks on the album are appreciable from multiple aspects, starting with the lyrics, which are sharp and direct. The structure of the songs is also noteworthy. There's always the right tension with every instrument being impeccable. The bass and guitar solos are ever-present, and, given the times, finally do justice to Sacred Rock. The drums are well-calibrated, with excellent nuances in changes and the choice of contribution to the rhythm section.

The entire discography of NIGHTSTALKER is well worth listening to extensively! Word of the Gods.

Obviously, I'm not shouting 'masterpiece' because this isn't one. However, we're talking about a very valid work worthy of praise to the fullest. It's not that easy to find quality these days. And they have plenty to offer.

The song "Baby, God Is Dead" is of course dedicated to Olympus... they are furious, with the Gods!