Naxatras: the band behind Greece’s psychedelic rock renaissance
After Athens, Thessaloniki is Greece’s second-largest city and home to the modern psychedelic rock phenomenon Naxatras. Comprising the talents of bassist John Vagenas, guitarist John Delias, and drummer Kostas Charizanis at its core, Naxatras have held a lofty position in the country’s thriving rock scene since 2012.
Naxatras’ musical foundation is rooted primarily in the psychedelic and progressive rockscapes of the late 1960s and early ’70s. Still, their identity depends on integrating the more contemporary influences of alternative rock and electronic music. This fusion of styles results in a heavy and dynamic update on a classic rock sound.
Vagenas, who also takes on co-lead vocals alongside Delias, recalls grunge as his earliest musical exposure. “My sister used to be a grunge teen, and she played Nirvana cassettes all the time, so that was probably it,” he tells me, discussing his earliest musical memory.
“We were all interested in music from a young age, and we all played in bands in high school,” he adds. With talents ripening through high school, these four paths converged to a harmonious vertex at the beginning of the 2010s, a decade that bore a strangely potent psych-rock flourish.
Naxatras are far from alone in their mission, with Greek heavyweights such as 1000Mods, Villagers of Ioannina City and Planet of Zeus flanking their trajectory. “There’s definitely a psych and heavy rock scene, and it grew rapidly in the previous decade,” Vagenas notes.
Expanding on their influences, Vagenas reveals that, although his musical education began with Nirvana, he soon reeled back a couple of decades. “We love all things ’70’s really,” he says. “When we started we were really into Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, all these legendary psych and space rock bands. But also our roots were into the desert rock scene of the ’90s, with songs like ‘Demon Cleaner’ by Kyuss and ‘Superjudge’ by Monster Magnet.”
“As we progressed, we followed the first direction more and emphasised on the progressive side of things. We were inspired for this by songs such as Eloy’s ‘Illuminations’ and Camel’s ‘The White Rider’.”
These influences are heard vividly upon listening to Naxatras’ masterful eponymous debut album of 2015. Virtuosic lead guitar excursions hearken back to David Gilmour’s bold yet assiduous command, but in climaxes of psychedelia, thumping rhythms and distorted chords lay the heavy line that divides Naxatras from all other factions.
Naxatras’ most apparent influences hail from the UK and the USA, and where hazy lyrics crop up amid a vastly instrumental oeuvre, they’re usually in English. However, ingrained deep within the band’s sonic DNA is something immovably Greek.
“Every country influences its artists historically and culturally. Even the climate and nature are important factors,” Vagenas explains. “You can easily understand that Greece, as a Mediterranean country, has a warmer temperament, and we have our own idiosyncrasies. There were Greek pioneer bands that inspired us too, from Aphrodite’s Child to Nightstalker.”
Following their 2015 debut, Naxatras become national heroes touring prolifically, often joining like-minded groups like Moon Duo and The Atomic Bitchwax on the road. They have since released three further studio albums, welcoming the keyboard and synth player Pantelis Kargas to bring a new dimension to their 2022 album, IV.
Vagenas informs me that Naxatras are still yet to tour with bands from the UK or US. However, all will change this spring when they join the legendary English instrumental neo-psychedelic outfit Ozric Tentacles for two shows in April 2024. See the dates booked for Athens and Thessaloniki here.
With a constantly developing sound, it’s difficult to direct newcomers to any particular album, but the 2015 debut is a great place to start. However, as a sonic companion to this introductory article, we’ve created a playlist featuring some Naxatras highlights alongside the music that influenced them.
