Doomed Confessionary: Giorgos, Bob & Andreas (Okwaho)
Okwaho is a blackened sludge/post-metal trio from Athens, Greece. The band consists of Giorgos (guitars, vocals), Bob Sword (bass) and Andreas Bikouvarakis (drums).
On their second album, »The Usurper Regime«, Okwaho let darkness seep in… When the time came for the creation of »The Usurper Regime«, Okwaho internalized the negation of the pandemic and socio-political events. They opened a new chapter where their politicized lyrics meet blackened sludge in a fusion that, as demonstrated by the album’s opening track »The Burden Of Thousand Murders«, the band listens to the modern and sharp aspect of extreme sound, and adapts it to its own style.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Hello, we are Okwaho. We started as a stoner-sludge band back in 2014 but have evolved into post-sludge with a touch of black (if you really want to get technical with labels).
We have released two albums so far: the self-titled »Okwaho« and »The Usurper Regime«. Among other things, we composed and performed live music for a theatrical show called »The Parenticide Club«, based on the book by Ambrose Bierce, and we recently had the chance to tour Europe with our friends Mass Culture.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Making and releasing music as an independent artist in a capitalist world. The music industry is a relentless machine that feeds fabricated material to people and tries really hard to bury any independent artist that won’t adhere to its standards. So, I guess it’s the same challenge every non-mainstream artist faces.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Definitely our latest work, »The Usurper Regime«. We made a huge step up in music, lyrics, and the entire production of this record, putting a lot of work into it. We truly believe we did a good job.
What was your biggest regret?
Maybe not releasing music more frequently.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Well, the only tour we’ve done so far is also our best. We’ve played a few bigger shows (crowd-wise), but the entire experience of touring is really unique.
We got the chance to play our music in a different country every day and meet some awesome people during those 13 days on the road. There was a lot of fatigue during the tour, a lot of sleep deprivation, and the food was bad (mostly from gas stations), but the whole experience was worth it, and we would definitely want to do it again.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The Beatles.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Neurosis, Knocked Loose and Humanity’s Last Breath, Sonja, The Offspring, Ultha, and Dødheimsgard.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Always be the worst musician in the room.
What are your guilty pleasures?
We like to fill bar toilets with Okwaho stickers.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Athens?
We have a very strong underground scene in Athens with a lot of awesome bands, despite the fact that our country tries to suppress any independent and non-mainstream effort, especially if it has political views.
Some bands we would like to mention and strongly recommend are Kvadrat, Altar Of The Stag, Kevel, Zakula, Yovel, Mass Culture, Aherusia, Automaton, Church Of The Sea, Shattered Hope, Lord Of Angmar, Euphrosene, Agnes Vein, and Hail Spirit Noir. Some of them have recently released very good records, and the rest are going to very soon!
Where can we see you live this year
We are currently working on our third record, so we will mostly do local shows and maybe some one-offs outside of Greece.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We are already working on our third record, so that’s one thing. We definitely want to do a lot of shows, especially in other countries (maybe tour again) because we really love it.
How can people best support your band?
By checking out our music and merch on our Bandcamp page.
By following us on our social media pages and YouTube channel. But the best way is to come to our shows and make some noise!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Fuck the elite daily.
Punch a fascist at least four times a week. Have a good time! 🙂
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well