Thirty years ago, the Athenian underground gave rise to a new Greek legend. On Thorns I Lay came up in the wake of Nightfall, Rotting Christ and Septicflesh. Eventually, all four bands would come to share the same record label, but while their countrymen were swayed by symphonic and black metal, On Thorns I Lay developed their own gothic style of atmospheric death-doom.
Last fall, On Thorns I Lay celebrated another significant milestone with their first album for Season of Mist. Today, they are honoring their 30-year legacy by re-releasing their first four albums on digital and streaming platforms.
Listen & Download
The band’s most-recent album, On Thorns I Lay, is now available through Season of Mist
Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/OnThornsILay
Stream: https://orcd.co/otilpresave
On their latest album, On Thorns I Lay pushed their gothic branch of death-doom to dark new heights. “It’s rare for a band to produce one of their strongest albums so far into their career”, wrote one astounded reviewer for Distorted Sound. Indeed, On Thorns I Lay proved that this band still set the bar for crushing melodies at a heroic height.
Their first four albums served as the foundational pillars on which the band have built their growing legacy. Formed back in 1992 by current guitarist Chris Dragamestianos, On Thorns I Lay didn’t officially debut until 1995. Already, they had undergone two name changes and a dramatic shift in style. Their first album for Holy Records, Sounds of Beautiful Experience, re-arranged their early stabs at brutal death metal with a flourish for the avant-garde. Just two years later, they helped establish the gothic scene’s trademark for beauty and the beast vocals with the critical breakthrough Orama.
“Atmospheric death metal at its finest”, Nicolas Radegout wrote for Hardrock Magazine. “Everything comes together to evoke, in a misty reverie, the myth of Atlantic”.
After relocating to Romania and reshuffling their lineup during 1998, their third album marked an even bigger turning point for On Thorns I Lay. Inspired by the likes of Lacuna Coil and My Dying Bridge, Crystal Tears introduced weeping violas and melancholic female vocals. Quick follow-up Future Narcotic still sounded like atmospheric, gothic death-doom, all while experimenting with futuristic ambient soundscapes.
