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BUS THE UNKNOWN SECRETARY
We Are The Night

Sound Effect (2024)
Rating: 8/10

Also known as BUS, this unusual gang of metalheads have been ploughing through the Greek metal scene with little praise, which is bizarre considering how good the quartet is. With album number three BUS must surely get the recognition they deserve outside of Greece because what they’ve created here is akin to discovering a dust-ridden slice of 70s proto-doom alongside a nostalgic yet rainy New Wave Of British Heavy Metal 45rpm.

Fronted by the primal Bill Politis – who rants on the title track, “It’s street party, it’s heavy, it’s pure and it’s rock n’ roll, It is hot, it is steel and completely overload, I don’t know, I don’t care, I don’t see, I don’t want no fame forevermore, Just heavy metal sex and rock n’ roll” – BUS manage to loiter in the basement of the garage rock files; a lo-fi dwelling dripping with punky snot, psychedelic sweat and the blood of doom. BUS is the sort of band whose sound just flows naturally, although such gloomy slides do tend to leave a trail of dirt on the ears.

‘Rise Of The Fallen’ is ominous doom, made all the steelier by the rattling bass of Efthimis Ragousis. Politis has a clear vocal style, one perfectly suited to a Black Sabbath-style sombreness although veering more towards the both leathery n’ stale biker rock of Saint Vitus. ‘Rumours’ is a good example of such stark, melancholic rolls of gloom as the guitars whine to the roof of gathering grey clouds. ‘Somebody Spits On You’ is more skittish in its short duration, almost classic mid-80s metal with a vein of oily speed and punk, whereas in contrast ‘Under My Skin’ is decidedly punky.

For 33 minutes I was spellbound by this outing but again left scratching my head as to why they aren’t more popular. Simply played maybe, but We Are The Night really does grease the pipes and puts hair on your palms!

Neil Arnold

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