A Short Trip: Urstaat

When talking about Greek metal bands, the first name that comes to my mind is Rotting Christ. That’s mostly because the band used to pop up repeatedly on my Facebook and YouTube feeds, even though I never actually gave them a listen. As for the power metal division, I only recently realized that Firewind is a Greek band.

Interestingly, when I searched for well-known metal bands—not the best, mind you—from Greece, among the many names that appeared, Allochiria (sludge/post-metal) also showed up. Why didn’t I use the word “best”? Because I think it’s better to put it that way, especially as my activity in reviewing music has become more intense, leaving me increasingly confused about what can truly be called the best. In short, the term “best” is subjective.

Alright, this time I don’t intend to discuss Allochiria as one of the bands from the early days of my post-metal journey, but rather Urstaat, whom I discovered back in 2022.

Unlike Allochiria, Urstaat from Athens chose an instrumental path, releasing a self-titled EP in May 2022, followed by their debut full-length album Autophagia in November 2025.

Members:

Dimitris Loupetis – Guitar
Chrissanthi Mourti – Guitar
Greg Zampelis – Bass
Nikos Koutantos – Drums

Discography:

Urstaat (EP, 2022)
Autophagia (2025)

What’s the Impression?

Well, I should be able to go into much greater detail about these two releases, but over the past two weeks there have been several obstacles that have only made me more reluctant to do so. Might as well just watch short dramas instead, man!

Urstaat’s playing sounds heavier on their debut EP and seems to lean toward a rather barren stoner direction, whereas Autophagia feels lighter and more atmospheric. Even though I had a hunch it might become boring due to its length—especially the EP—it all eventually flowed by on its own. Some notable moments include the spoken-word section on the track “Autophagia,” which can be considered a breaker of silence, and the title “Between the Sea and the Security Fence,” which reminded me of the sea fence case in Banten. From this, I want to emphasize: don’t underestimate instrumental music, even if at first glance it can’t be enjoyed like a typical song. And that’s just one track.

So, I think Urstaat are moving forward well, or at least adapting effectively in their work so far.

Want to try instrumental sludge/post-metal? Don’t forget to give Urstaat a taste!

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