Circle of Mushrooms

Hailing from the city of Trikala (Thessaly), CIRCLE OF MUSHROOMS might just well be one of the earliest examples of Folk Metal from Greece. Granted, folk-ish elements were not unknown to Hellenic Black Metal even earlier on, but with CIRCLE OF MUSHROOMS it was put upfront in a more explicit manner. Moreover, whereas bands like KAWIR employed what seems like genuine traditional, indigenous sonorities, CIRCLE OF MUSHROOMS didn’t shy away from the more eclectic approach, adding elements of Celtic/Norse music to their repertoire. Stylistically, CIRCLE OF MUSHROOMS falls somewhere within the realms of Black/Heavy metal with the addition of Folk/Medieval-tinged melody. In addition to standard Metal instrumentation, the band also made use of acoustic instruments and keyboards to further their cause.

Two tapes were released during the band’s first incarnation: a two-track (+ intro) tape in 1998, called “Stoned Eyes of Things”, and a one-track promo in 1999 which was issued without artwork and mainly distributed to magazines/fanzines. They were also featured in a handful of compilations in the late-1990s. According to “internal sources”, a few more song ideas were rehearsed in the wake of the “Stoned Eyes…” tape, but never completed/released officially. However, quite surprisinglly two new songs appeared in 2020, recorded without vocals and drums and somewhat in the vein of ULVER’s “Kveldssanger” album, under the title “The Wonky Mountain Path EP” (2020).

Compilation appearances:
* Vibes from Below [CD, Comp: Alone, 1999]
* Death/Black Vol. 4 [Cass, Compilation: Underground Tapes, ?]