Groove Therapist | Mr Funker ‘The Myth’ | 2015 Reissue
Label: The Leaders Records
Release Year: 2015
Country : Greece
Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal
Band Members
Haris Lolos – Vocals
Yiorgos Kalodoukas – Guitars
Kleanthis Konstandinidis – Vocals / Keyboards
Katerina Koti – Bass & Vocals
Thanos Kalodoukas – Drums
Guest Musicians
John Kampouropoulos – Narrator’s Voice – Once Upon A Time, The Girl With Sad Eyes, In A Dark Alley, Terrified And Ashamed, The Punishment, A Strange Dream, An Unxpected Morning, Cautious Thoughts, Storm Breaking, Facing The Truth, Awareness
Marika Papazoglou – Background Vocals on Mr Funker, Drop D, Whispers
Aggelos Polychronou – Percussion on , The Myth, Whispers
Theano Tsami – Vocals on Little Annie, Inner Conflict, Final Act, Whispers, Background Vocals on The Myth
Contact Links
Groove Therapist Official Website
Groove Therapist Official Facebook
Groove Therapist Official YouTube Channel
The Leaders Records Official Website
Buy Groove Therapist ‘Mr Funker The Myth’ Online
Update Fall 2016.
This review of Groove Therapists’ ‘Mr Funker The Myth’ originally appeared on the older Power Of Prog social network website. Updates included that were absent in the original review are information giving the guest musicians credit, the official website of the band and where to buy Groove Therapist’s ‘Mr Funker The Myth’ online. The rest of the review is as it was when it was originally published.
Original From Winter/Spring 2016
I would like to open this review as one coming out from underneath a boulder in 2015. How I missed this one in such a banner year in progressive rock and metal is beyond me.
It seems that Greece continues to make their mark in the world of progressive rock and metal. From the land that has brought us Firewind, Gus G, Seduce The Heaven, etc .. presents the band called Groove Therapist. It seems that Groove Therapist intended to make a statement early in their recording career by the debut release of a concept album titled Mr Funker “The Myth’ .
It is certainly no secret that progressive rock and metal has served as the perfect breeding ground of creativity of conceptual albums. From the earlier albums such as Yes’ Tales Of Topographic Oceans to Jethro Tull’s Thick As A Brick in the 1970’s to later pieces like Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime 1 & 2, Savatage’s Streets A Rock Opera, Fates Warning’s A Pleasant Shade Of Grey and Dream Theater’s Metropolis 2: Scenes From A Memory, Groove Therapist’s Mr Funker ‘The Myth’ now joins company with these and many other conceptual works in progressive rock and metal music.
On a creative and literary note, Groove Therapist’s Mr Funker ‘The Myth’ will certainly appeal to fans and readers of such legendary writers as Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven and Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. Like those masterpieces, Mr Funker ‘The Myth’ has a brooding villain oppressing a orphanage or the poor in obscurity by a evil entity called Drop ‘D’ and a hero lurking in the shadows of the streets within the village waiting for its chance to strike and avenge the evil.
On a musical perspective this concept has a little of everything. It has heavy progressive riffs and even a few sick time signatures to perfectly narrated segue’s that help the listener follow the story. A lot of the actual musical tracks hit with all the hallmarks of a progressive outlet. Whether it is a symphonic, a old school Hammond organ or a modern progressive metal there is a little bit for every audio pallet out there. The fact that there is a actual female singing the female portions and male singing the male portions also helps the listener identify and relate with the characters of the main narrative. When anger resides in the characters so does the vocal and melody.
This was one of the most courageous and ambitious debut’s I have heard in the last 25 years. Where most bands wait until their third and latter albums to do a concept such as this, Groove Therapist have made a profound and direct statement that they are here now. Mr Funker ‘The Myth’ will be a concept album we will be talking about 20 years from now. This is also a concept that can easily have visual treatment on it if the band ever decides to go that direction. For the courage and ambition as well as a damn good concept. I give this a 5/5.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr0HwQsv5FY]
Video Courtesy Of (Groove Therapist Official YouTube Channel )
