Denial Price

DENIAL PRICE… one of the earliest pioneers of progressive Heavy/Power Metal in Greece and according to many one of the finest the country has to offer as well. Either way, they were ahead of their time. Formed in the Thessalian town of Larissa in 1986, DENIAL PRICE pretty much single-handedly created the foundation for the Larissan Power/Progressive scene, which would reach fruition in the early-1990s with the arrival of groups such as BLACK FATE and DORIAN GRAY.

Being a Heavy Metal band – and a progressive one at that – was not always an easy task back in
1980s Larissa. Despite being relegated to using very primitive equipment and, with good luck, getting a chance to play at one of the city’s cinemas rather than any proper music venues, DENIAL PRICE managed to build a strong local following. After three years of playing together, the band unleashed their debut demo, habitually referred to as “Demo I” (1989) with a lineup consisting of Panos Dimitriou (vocals – BLADE, FATAL ATTRACTION, BLACK JUJU, etc.), Christos Tsaves (guitars), Dimitris Bournakas (bass) and Kostas Tsaves (drums). This incredibly rare two-tracker (which was supposedly distributed without cover art) showcased a band with incredible potential, performing in a style very close to classic-era FATES WARNING. According to the vocalist Panos Dimitriou, “Demo I” received appraisal in the local vicinities, but reaching out to a wider audience proved more difficult back in those days. As a matter of fact, the band actually had more compositions in the vaults, but these were not put to tape at this point for one reason or another (lack of money and proper recording opportunities would be a valid guess).

Soon after the release of “Demo I”, DENIAL PRICE “mk1” split up, but later reformed under the name SHADOW AXIS with a new lineup that included members of the excellent, Kozani-based progressive Heavy Metal band BLADE (which also featured Panos Dimitriou on vocals). No material seems to have been publicly released under this moniker though, and the name was eventually changed back to DENIAL PRICE. Then five years after the debut, the next release of DENIAL PRICE was ready.

This time recorded in a proper recording facility (Larissa’s Graffiti Studios), “Demo II” (1994) expanded on the DENIAL PRICE sound to encompass a wider dynamic range and, quite naturally, a more polished sound. Some major lineup changes had taken place as well, with Panos Dimitriou being the sole remaining member from the “Demo I” period. The new members were: Vasilis Garagounnoulis (guitars), Kostas Gagalis (bass – BLADE, BLACK JUJU) and Kostas Ketoglidis (drums – BLADE). Fortunately, the equally hard-to-find “Demo II” was eventually made available on CD in remixed form under the title “Farewell Within Remains” (2000) with an acoustic bonus track (released on what seems to be the band’s own label: Ground Records) Unlike both prior and later works by the band, this CD is in fact quite easily obtained and at a very fair price as well.

With the rerelease of “Demo II” in the making, DENIAL PRICE rose up once again to deliver what would be their final release to date, another hard to obtain demo CD entitled “Into the Oblivion of Tragedy” (2002). Except for the addition of a second guitarist in DORIAN GRAY’s Dimitris Tsimbonis (guitars – DORIAN GRAY, BLACK JUJU, IN VAIN), the lineup remained intact since the mid-1990s. Stylewise, the band kept cultivating their expression to include a wider array of musical forms (including more modern ones), yet retaining their core sound.

Besides his commitment to DENIAL PRICE, singer Panos Dimitriou has also lended his inimitable voice to other bands. In the early 2000s, he joined the Larissan Doom/Stoner Metal act IN VAIN along with fellow DENIAL PRICE member and DORIAN GRAY guitarist Dimitris Tsimbonis. IN VAIN eventually morphed into the similar-sounding BLACK JUJU, who remains active to this day.

For those of you who’re into Arch-era FATES WARNING (who isn’t?!), be sure to check out DENIAL PRICE – especially their debut demo which must count as one of the finest examples of this particular style of progressive Heavy Metal.

Compilation appearances:
* Hellenic Forces Compilation Vol. 1 [CDr, Comp: Self-released (Hellenic Forces Fanzine), 2004]
* 80’s Greek Metal [CD, Comp: Metal Hammer & Heavy Metal, 2015]
* Warzone XIX [CD, Comp: Metal Invader, ?]