Hekátē: Μαύρη Τρύπα Burns Brighter in the Bleakness (Album Premiere)

It’s been five years since Hekátē stepped out of the shadows with their debut full-length, Μέρες Οργής (Days Of Wrath), released by La Vida Es Un Mus. That record captured the bleak urban reality of Athens and beyond, expanding from deeply personal issues of identity and psychological dysphoria to broader themes of systemic oppression.

With synths and basslines by Iris and Chara crafting courageous, danceable soundscapes, and Vicky’s relentless drumming grounding the songs in tight grip, Hekátē’s sound was fully anchored by Lydia’s vocals, sung in both Greek and English, and staying true to their DIY punk roots and principles. They immediately drew attention, their live shows in self-organized spaces always communicating a message that was political, pointed, and impossible to ignore.

Μαύρη Τρύπα (Black Hole), the quartet’s second album, releasing today by French feminist label Mascara Rocks Records, feels like a more expressive and expansive step forward. The 33-minute record features nine tracks that continue to demonstrate Hekátē’s gift for channeling dysthymic rage. From the first listens, Μαύρη Τρύπα strikes as both more subtle and more confrontational. The lyrics cut deeper, reflecting the societal turmoil that’s unfolded in Greece over the past five years. At the same time, the instrumentation feels more adventurous—especially the synth work, as the amazing “Ricochet” makes clear.

Earlier, “Βουβές Φωνές” (Silent Voices) opens with a bassline that nods to Bauhaus, one of the band’s central influences, but soon transcends into a stunning synthwave experiment. Hekátē continue to excel at crafting soundtracks for long nights and drawn-out mornings, balancing the greys of depression and resignation with defiant anthems for the voiceless—offering belonging for the outcast. The militant “Παράλογη Ζωή” (Absurd Life) feels like a direct descendant of the Greek ’80s darkwave/post-punk underground, echoing bands like ANTI and Χωρίς Περιδέραιο. “Service State” is a sharp, ironic piece that cuts into the country’s political reality, moving between anarcho-punk sneer and a surprisingly elegant chorus.

It should be mentioned that Hekátē, in the liner notes of the album, thank the amazing artist Venus Volcanism for the singing lessons, thus establishing a Greek-Icelandic connection. A connection that also haunts the record during “Heavenly Howler,” an ambient, rural field recording captured in Iceland, where singer Lydia now resides. Μαύρη Τρύπα never lets go of its witching darkness, not even in the face of absolute nothingness. The atmosphere may be stripped of hope, settling as a furious soundtrack for a world marked by despair, war, state murders, and class and gender inequalities; but, as the call to arms that is the opener “Εμφύλιος” (Civil War) shows, Hekátē haven’t changed.

In a post-modern age where collective memory fades and countercultural traditions are pushed aside by the spectacle’s exploitative reach—corroding the real battlegrounds of everyday revolutionary politics—preserving the tradition of DIY as a form of resistance, both artistically and politically, remains vital. Μαύρη Τρύπα is another gem in the forward-moving Greek DIY post-punk scene, one that speaks on a broader scale. Hekátē, once again, sing and dance their way through the nightly crossroads of everyday life, unafraid of the depressive glow of the city’s concrete zoo. Bold, vulnerable, with a clear aesthetic vision—sculpted close to perfection.