Chained and Desperate

Counting among the longest running acts in the Greek Black/Death underground, CHAINED AND DESPERATE have made a name for themselves not only by grace of longevity, but through an intriguing stylistic trajectory; spanning from early mischiefs in cacophonous Noise/Grind, over classic Death/Doom and traditional Hellenic Black Metal, to finally establishing an idiosyncratic take on melodic Black Metal.

The story began back in November 1990, originally under the name DESPERATION DEATH as founded by the band’s perpetual core duo Panos “Chained” Makris (guitars, bass, keyboards – MOURNBLADE, ORDER OF THE EBON HAND) and Nikos “C.M. Ain” (vocals). In October 1991, the moniker CHAINED AND DESPERATE (from here-on abbreviated as C&D) was adopted, influenced by the debut album of NWOBHM underdogs CHATEAUX. The same year the band unleashed their first assault: a rehearsal tape in the Noise/Grind field entitled “Total Destruction” (1991) (we haven’t been able to locate this demo in its entirety yet). It’s worth noting at this point that the band’s main guitarist/songwriter Panos “Chained” didn’t actually participate on the band’s early recordings – his first studio work was with the “The Eternal Darkness of Happiness” promo track, which we will discuss below.

With the release of “The Day After…” (1992), C&D shifted towards a more experimental mode that remains difficult to categorize or even judge on musical merits. What the listener is subjected to is ten minutes of minimalist Electro/Doom/Industrial/Noise that could perhaps be likened to ABRUPTUM or the more outlandish works of BEHERIT. Hearing this tape today, it’s hard to comprehend that this is the same band that would go on to create such lush and sweeping melodic Black/Pagan Metal in later phases.

After having cleared the system with the staunchly anti-commercial “The Day After…”, C&D went back to the drawing board for another stylistic makeover. The first taste of what was to come can be heard on the one-track promo “The Eternal Darkness of Happiness” (1993), which is also the first C&D release including guitarist Panos “Chained”. Gone is the noisy experimentalism of yore, replaced by solemn and rather depressive Death/Doom with an almost archaic melodicism more at home in the emerging Black Metal scene. Around this time, the band for the first time introduces “real” drums (their early works featured digital percussion), performed by George Fourtoulakis, although he appears to have left the band after the recording of this particular promotional track.

When time had come for the band’s third demo “Greaving for the Lost Sun” (1994), HELLDIVER’s Christos Koutantes joined as a session drummer and a guy named Manos Chalkias filled in on keyboards. “Greaving…” successfully continues in the style developed on the preceding promo and brought the band attention in underground circuits and the title-track was included on Dark Side Records’ “Beyond the Grave” (1994) compilation LP (the only C&D composition eternalized in vinyl format as of yet?) and the band did their first headlining performance in their hometown Piraeus at the end of the year. This concert was recorded and circulated on tape as “Live in Piraeus 1994”.

In 1995, C&D was offered a deal with Dark Side Records for the release of a split-CD with their countrymen in ORDER OF THE EBON HAND. The deal fell through for some reason, allegedly as a result of bad handling by the record label. Instead, the material recorded for the split ended up on the band’s fourth demo tape, “Oracles from the Neitherworld” (1995). Interestingly, rather than pursuing the Death/Doom style heard on “Greaving…”, it was time for another change of skin with the band delivering what is perhaps their most well-known work. Recorded as a trio (Panos Chained, C.M. Ain and a third musician named Tassos doing drum programming/keyboards) at the legendary Storm Studios with George Zacharopoulos (NECROMANTIA) as producer, “Oracles from the Neitherworld” was draped in the warm, mystical sonorities of traditional Hellenic Black Metal. It received favorable reviews and several tracks were featured on compilation tapes both in Greece and abroad. For the hardcore fans, there’s also an advance promotional item to be hunted down from this period. It was probably released without accompanying artwork and featured three tracks – all of which were later included on the demo proper.

Next in line was an intriguing promo tape entitled “Heliopolis” (1997). This two-tracker was recorded by Panos “Chained” and C.M. Ain along with second vocalist Orestis “Merkaal” Oikonomopoulos (vocals) and drummer Akis “Lethe” Kapranos – both members of ORDER OF THE EBON HAND. Perhaps as a result of the different lineup (“real” drums contra “Oracles…” programmed percussion, for example), “Heliopolis” deviated from the traditional Greek black metal idiom heard on “Oracles…” and can be viewed as a logical step towards C&D’s debut album released two years later. The songs are faster, more aggressive and, most importantly, gave witness to main composer Panos Chained’s expansion of the band’s melodic syntax, which over time has become one of the band’s main insignia (evident as far back as 1994’s “Greaving for the Lost Sun”).

Once again, the band was approached with a potential record deal, this time through the UK-based Neat Metal Records. And once again the deal fell through. In spite of this drawback, the band kept soldiering on and finally in September 1998 entered Studio 5 (Athens) to record their full-length debut, subsequently released through the band’s own label Hieroglyph Music. The lineup at the time consisted of of Panos Chained (guitars, bass, keyboards), C.M. Ain (vocals) and newly arrived drummer George Pavlantis (drums – REFLECTION, SWAN CHRISTY). If history was fair, then “Eleven Angles in a Circle” (1999) should be regarded as a late classic of Hellenic Black Metal. Instead of mimicking the by now established sound of ROTTING CHRIST, VARATHRON, etc., “Eleven Angles…” operated in its own musical universe. Not through cheap novelty (there’s nothing “extravagant” about the music, no flutes, Hammond organs or Stoner Rock influences…), but through a combination of distinctive sound and well-written compositions. Stylistically, the music could be likened to a cross between Mediterranean Black Metal and North-European melodic Black/Death with a dose of classic Heavy Metal added to the mixture.

Following a handful of live performances in the wake of the album’s release, CHAINED AND DESPERATE entered a longer period of hibernation because of obligatory military service. Three years later in 2004, the silence was broken with the announcement of Dimitris “Jim Havok” Thomakos (GUNGNIR, MORTUUS SUM, SOCIAL SCREAM) as permanent bass player. Over the next couple of years, the band kept busy penning songs for a follow-up album. It would take until 2010 before the material was deemed ready for release in the form of the “Divine Authority Abolishment” CD, released on the then-upcoming Cyprus-based Pitch Black Records. In addition to the old garde of C.M. Ain (vocals), Panos Chained (guitars), Jim Havok (bass) and George Pavlantis (drums), the band is joined by Kostas Makris of SWAN CHRISTY on clean vocals on the album’s fourth track, “Chained”. The latter song, which moves closer to Heavy/Power Metal than ever before, is perhaps the best example of the band’s intention to keep developing, while retaining much of their core sound intact.

According to official sources, the band is currently working on completing their third album under the working title “The Third Offensive”, so stay tuned!

Compilation appearances:
* Beyond the Grave [LP, Comp: Dark Side, 1994]
* Near Dark Compilation Vol. 1 [Cass, Comp: Near Dark Productions, 1996]
* Prometheus Unleashed [Cass, Comp: Demonion Productions, 1999]
* Ancient Ceremonies [2CD, Comp: Ancient Ceremonies Magazine, 2000]
* Warzone V [CD, Comp: