Poem

History

Poem is a four-piece progressive rock/metal group based in Athens. Formed in 2006 by George Prokopiou, Kamil Kamieniecky and George Anagnostou, the lineup went through some changes over the years and now consists of George Prokopiou (vocals/guitar), Laurence Bergström (lead guitar), Stratos Haidos (bass) and Stavros Rigos (drums).

With a wide range of influences and love for experimentation, Poem embarked on a sound adventure defining their personal style from the very first songs. The four members have various musical backgrounds which they bring into the studio and rehearsals, creating music that none of them could compose alone. They like to experiment with different sounds and rhythms, so jamming freely is a liberating process for each member separately and also a very unifying process for the band.

In December 2008 Poem recorded their debut album 'The Great Secret Show', which the Metal Hammer of Greece characterized as, "the best Greek debut album since '00s and one of the 10 best albums of the Greek metal scene ever released." As a result they caught the eye of several record companies and ended up signing with the Greek label Dromos Music for a June 2009 release.

Their style of music can be classified as both progressive and alternative rock with alternative metal undertones. Poem's potential is best reflected in their live performances. Chosen to open the concerts for some huge artists and bands of the metal scene, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Paradise Lost, Burst, Mekong Delta, Cilice, Rotting Christ, Leprous, among others, they have also participated in numerous festivals in Greece and other European countries, quickly making a name as one of the best rock live acts around. In 2014, Metal Hammer Greece, invited Poem to participate in the tribute album of Pink Floyd's masterpiece 'The Dark Side of the Moon' – contributing with two cover songs: 'Brain Damage' and 'Eclipse', that can be found on the CD 'Landing on the Dark Side of the Moon', Metal Hammer, issue 358, October 2014.

The band signed with the Swedish label ViciSolum Productions and their 2nd album 'Skein Syndrome' was released on 18th of March, 2016.

(source: Poem, March 2016)