Bag of Nails – The Wolf Inside Me
Self-Produced
CD: 10 Songs, 46 Minutes
Styles: Psychedelic Blues, Acid Rock, All Original Songs
Most of us know the old trope about “cranking the volume up to 11.” True story: In order to listen to the latest offering from the Greek band Bag of Nails, I had to crank the volume on my computer down to 40 (out of 100). Otherwise, my headset and eardrums would have been blown. This CD plays out exactly the way one would expect an album entitled The Wolf Inside Me to play out. Howling, growling guitar is the name of the game on ten hair-raising original tracks. Surprisingly enough, there are some good blues numbers along with the psychedelics, including “Daddy’s Blues” (track two), “In the Shadows” (track three), and the album’s closing song. On vocals, leading man Panos Katsikogiannis gives his all, but his accent is heavy. For example, “Dangerous Love” (track five) sounds like “dangerous load” upon first listen. Notwithstanding, the lyrics really aren’t the focal point. This is a boombox-blaster, loud, proud and exhilarating.
Bag of Nails are a psychedelic blues-rock trio from Athens, Greece. They’re characterized by their improvisational style and inspired by classic blues and rock songs from the 1960s and ‘70s. The songs that later formed the basis for this band were first written by Panos K. during his time with Mr. Delay and the Tallman (2012-14). Bag of Nails started in 2015 and released their first demo in 2016. Up until now, they’ve performed live at various venues in Athens and other big cities in Greece. They’ve taken part in the “B-fest” Festival (2016 and 2017) as well as the “Hard as a Rock” Festival (volumes one, two and three), and performed live on Greece’s national radio. Last February, they opened for the legendary Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash at Kyttaro Club in Athens and received great reviews.
Bag of Nails consists of the aforementioned Panos K. on guitars and vocals, Giorgos Antoniadis on bass and backing vocals, and Agis Gkritzios on drums and percussion.
“Daddy’s Blues” is the best traditional blues-rock track on the album. It forgoes Hendrix-style experimentalism in favor of a bouncy beat and sweet vocal harmonies. A heartfelt homage to the narrator’s old man, it’ll keep listeners on their feet and playing air guitar along with the band. Dig that bassline by Giorgos Antoniadis. It’s absolutely killer, and the best part is its subtlety.
Let the wolf inside you howl along with Bag of Nails!