Detailed Reviews [Kokkinia - 2022 - "The Last Are Lost From The List"]

Prolusion. Greek band Kokkinia have been around since 2018 or thereabouts, and they define themselves as a heavy progressive rock band. Following an initial single they launched their debut album "The Last Are Lost From The List" in 2022, at that point opting for a digital release of this production. In the summer of 2025 the album was made available also in physical form through the French label Bitume.

Analysis. For my sake I don't believe that this is a band that all too many that I know would describe as residing inside of the progressive part of the heavy rock spectrum, although this will obviously always be a case of subjective opinion rather than a documented fact. That being said, there are elements on this album that may make it an interesting one also for progressive rock fans, even if my main impression is that it is among the hard rock and metal communities that this band will find most of its listeners. What the band have an expertise in is to add psychedelic features and details to a hard rock expression. Often with the blues lurking a little bit beneath the surface, we get a heavy set and powerful surge of hard rock solidity here, at times stretching towards and into the traditional heavy metal realm. In between we get gentler and nervous details, most often provided by the guitar, that adds a more dreamladen and psychedelic tinge to the landscapes explored, mainly as undercurrents or overlays. We also get some feistier and more firm guitar solo runs that come with a prevalent psychedelic tone to them, even if perhaps a tad subtle at times. In addition there are also a few mood pieces spread throughout this production, ones that explore a more delicate landscape and where the electric piano is put to use in a proper, 70s inspired manner. The lead vocals tend to emphasize the hard rock part of this band's expression, with a powerful and often raspy but melodic lead vocal style that has been common among hard rock bands and traditional heavy metal bands for decades. And in many ways I find Kokkinia to take what might be described as a bit of a traditional approach and execution to their compositions. There's nothing all that new here, but what we get tends to be solid and well executed. With some of the songs also adding a little bit of a grunge inspired vibe to the proceedings. This CD edition of the album has been expanded with the singles 'Tromos / Thyella' and 'Arboreal', both of which strike me as slightly odd ones out on this production. At least from my perception we get a bit more of an alternative metal vibe from both of these songs, arguably with a little bit of a subtly Tool-inspired vibe going on, and for my sake I find that I prefer this band when they have more of a hard rock with occasional traditional heavy metal moments going on while adding some psychedelic flavoring to those types of landscapes.

Conclusion. While I suspect that those who are looking for purebred heavy progressive rock may not get exactly what they want from this debut album by Greek band Kokkinia, those who tend to enjoy heavy set hard rock with tangents into traditional heavy metal landscapes as well as a bit of an occasional tip of the hat in the grunge direction may find this to be a more charming affair. In particular those in that crowd that also appreciate the slightly more alternative metal oriented creations that concludes this CD.

Progmessor: August 2025
The Rating Room