“XOAN is a four-piece band formed in 2017 in Athens. Keeping the sound of the late-90’s and early-00’s as their main connection point, XOAN craft songs with catchy hooks and melodic heavy riffing.“
GREENHORN is the debut-album of the Greek band XOAN and it was released on May 29, 2020.
When I read the press-statement of the album I got a very psycodelic feling of the band, and I’m not that good with music terms that I understood it. So I let the music speak for it self. And it said a lot. It is a very rich and advanced kind of music, with a lot of thinking behind the lyrics.
This isn’t music that I usally listen to, so I have a bit of struggle to find a genre that will fit, but for me it is alternative rock music with the sounds of the 90:s, a kind of combo with the american west cost rock with bits of early grunge and a really disted guitarr. The band are really great muscians and have a really great singer! The more I listen to it, I get the feeling of the band Dredg that I discovered like 8 years ago, and this is the first time I have heard something that sounds a bit like that band. And that is a good thing!
It’s actually hard to understand that this is a debut-album, because it really sounds like a band that has been going for a while. It’s tight and there is an idea with every song. And, every song has it own sound, there are no repeats, so there is always something new.
I also think that it was wise to start with the song “Yellow Fever“, it is a really amazing song and it got me to listen to the whole album. “Yellow Fever” is the best song of the album, and possibly one of the best songs of 2020!
“A night or two” is my second favourit song of the album. But really, the whole album is really great if you’re into a bit of alternative rock with grunge vibes!
A really great first album for a band, and I really hope that XOAN will continue in the same way!
The band are:
John – Vocals, guitars
Philip – Guitars, Vocals
Giannis – Bass
Antonis – Drums
