Genia Toy Xaoys

Could be that the absolute greek punk band is Genia Tou Chaous. The band's lined up changed multiple times (the drummer changed 6 times, if we're not mistaken, although all recordings feature the same one) - its first incarnation took place in 1982 under the moniker Antikoultoura (Anticulture), the name changed to Chaos Generation, & finally became Genia Tou Chaous. In 1983, Nikos Vosdoganis (guitar, vox) leaves the band & Aris Lampidis together with Kostas Hadjopoulos join the band as vocalist & guitarist, respectively.

The band's lined up changed multiple times (the drummer changed 6 times, if we're not mistaken, although all recordings feature the same one) - its first incarnation took place in 1982 under the moniker Antikoultoura (Anticulture), the name changed to Chaos Generation, & finally became Genia Tou Chaous.

In 1983, Nikos Vosdoganis (guitar, vox) leaves the band & Aris Lampidis together with Kostas Hadjopoulos join the band as vocalist & guitarist, respectively. The other Nikos Vosdogonis in the band (a cousin of the first one) also leaves the band in late 1984, after the release of the split tape with Adiexodo. (The 2 cousins were playing until recently in Gnostoi-Agnostoi (Known-Unknowns).)

The first appearance in record takes place in 1986 with their self-titled LP. The band followed up with their second LP, "Rekviem (Requiem)," which appeared 3 years later, in 1989. Both records were released by Dikaioma Diavasis (Right Of Passage - pun not intended...), also known as Di-Di Music (currently known as DiDi Music/Big Star Promotion), & then rereleased as a 2LP/CD by Wipe Out in 1996.

One must also take into account the split tape that the band released with Adiexodo, titled "I Genia Tou Chaous Kai To Adiexodo Sas Efhontai Kali Orexi (Chaos Generation & Dead End Wish You Bon Appetit)," as well as to the band's contribution to the compilation "Diataraxi Koinis Isyhias (Disruption of Public Peace - a.k.a. Disturbance of Common Peace)" with the tracks "Bastardokratia (Bastardocracy)" & "Epithanatios Roghos (Pre-Mortem Growl)." The band disbanded shortly after "Requiem" was released.
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The band's attitude evolved from aggressive punk with intense antiauthoritarian lyrics ("this is not democracy, this is not freedom, this is just a bastardocracy") in the beginning (circa "Disruption of Public Peace" era) to post-punk (as described by Akis Amprazis, see below for info) and even went as far as to include some gloomy metal overtones at the very end. Special reference must be made to Thodoris Iliakopoulos who was the lyricist, composer, vocalist & drummer of the band. The bass player and co-composer for the longest part of the history of the band (from '82 through '86) was Akis Amprazis. He wrote lyrics for many of the songs ("Prokataklysmiaies Eikones (Pre-Flooding Images)," "Lytrosi (Salvation)," "401 GSNA (401 General Military Hospital of Athens)," and others) and, together with Kostas Hadjopoulos, composes music for most of the songs of that period. He recorded the bass parts for the two songs that ended up in the "Diataraxi Koinis Isyhias," the band's first record, and in a couple or so of the songs that ended up in the second LP. (More info on Akis Abrazis can be found at his personal webpage, located at www.geocities.com/redrumgr.)
The band was particularly active throughout the '80s, particinpating in shows & squats & creating, together with another 3-4 bands, a small but substantial local scene - notwithstanding the difficulties that the (marginalized - to say the least - by the greek reality) bands of that time went through..

"When the circus' clown took his life on stage, everyone thought it to be part of the show & laughed some more."

Genia Tou Chaous write songs against every authority, become radical, subversive, pose questions & describe feelings that everyone can connect to... Genia Tou Chaous give the impression that it doesn't just fool around with music: the rules are well-established and well-known, but the band doesn't seem to be paying attention, it says what it has to say no matter what the cost... A genuine flirt with the underground punk culture - not with punk fashion.

In their second LP release, Genia Tou Chaous "dress" the subversive "poetry" of Iliakopoulos with a sound more akin to metal, while retaining their punk attitude - the end result is similar to that of their first release: simple yet extreme forms of distortion, dynamite lyrics, minimalistic music themes & pure punk attitude.

2LP/CD track listing: Koinonika Ypoproionta (Social Byproducts), Genia Tou Chaous (Chaos Generation), Psyhres Toxines (Frigid Toxins), Ilithia Athooi (Idiotically Innocent), Lytrosi (Salvation), Prokataklysmiaies Eikones (Pre-Flooding Images), Stigma, Kamia Elpida (No Hope), Poso Makria (How Far Away), Mavro, To Hroma Tis Sterisis (Black, The Color Of Longing), Ta Parasima Tou Paradeisou (The Medals Of Paradise), Stigma (acoustic version), Eisagogi Sto Rekviem (Introduction To Requiem), Arga To Vradi (Late At Night), Amok (Amok), Krach (Crash), Gia Tora Kai Gia Panta (For Now And For Ever), Rekviem (Gia Xepesmenous Theous) (Requiem (For Degraded Gods)), O Horos Tis Siopis (The Dance Of Silence), Paroxysmos (Paroxysm), To Minyma Tis Ittas (The Message Of Defeat), Aggeloi Horis Ftera (Angels Without Wings), Dogma, Aytos O Kosmos-Thanatos (This Death-World), O Horos Tis Siopis (The Dance Of Silence) (alternate version).