18th December 2023

Review: “Vertex” by Backbone

A project that started life as the brainchild of guitarist and vocalist Peter Krk and rapidly grew legs with the involvement of drummer Eleni Nota (Nervosa, Ankor) and bassist Dimitri Tsabros, Backbone is seen by the trio as a sonic haven where they express themselves by putting their mark on musical styles they love. Recorded and mixed by Alex Kyrlis at Bigfoot Sound studios in Athens Greece before being mastered by the world renowned, Grammy awarded producer Mike Exeter (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Cradle of Filth), their debut EP “Vertex” was released in March 2022. Adorned by cover artwork from Greek artist Stavroula Kyvelou…

How the band describe themselves coupled with their name and the title of the EP is a potential Pandora’s box of potential hidden meaning. “A sonic haven” could allow more freedom of expression than you might normally find within artists work but could equally end up being a train wreck of miss-matched ideas that don’t flow together. The word “Vertex“, the name the trio have chosen for their EP, means the apex or highest point, perhaps a celebration of their collective work so far. “Backbone” however could be a reference to anything, not having one meaning cowardice. However the trio give away literally nothing about what they may sound like, leaving the music to speak for itself, which as we all know can be a dangerous game played in shark infested waters…

…what Backbone have actually created is essentially a groove laden Stoner Metal record with a pre-Industrial Metal feel, as the bastard child of influences of Ministry, Monster Magnet and Prong come home to roost. Introduction instrumental piece “Entanglement” doesn’t give any of that away, instead sounding like it was originally set to be the introduction music to a 90’s cop thriller starring Danny Glover and Bruce Willis. A drum jam chemically enhanced by the sounds of traffic and programming which takes us back to “Roots” era Sepultura with a primitive feel, it offers intrigue, a raw unpolished diamond perhaps. It is from there however that the trio take us into an entirely new realm. “Captagon” exposes a little Rob Zombie influence with the vocal style while Stoner riffs begin to flow with early 2000’s Metal vibes, the heavily involved drum patterns being what separates the band from the pack. As you might expect that means no solo, the trio instead preferring to batter us into submission with their rhythmic prowess. Taking a more dirge laden approach to the riffs while offering up surprisingly tribal drum patterns “Post Entrapment” sees the trio continue the experiment, an unexpected flaming solo rising from the black depths in the final third. Front loaded with rumbling bass, staccato riff breaks and a spoken word “Iconoclast” has plenty of verve and swagger, the band having clearly defined their sound. Whether it was always meant to sound this way, only the band knows themselves… [7/10]

Track Listing