Christina Maniati: melodic vocals Dimitris Bikos: guitar, brutal vocals Nikos Baltas: guitar, brutal vocals Joseph Nikou: bass Nikos Simigiannis: drums Savvas Dandoulakis: keyboards
Odes Of Ecstasy formed in November of 1993, by Dimitris Bikos (guitars/vocals) and Joseph Nikou (bass). A year later Dimitris Panayiotidis (guitars) joined the band and in December of 1995 they released their first promo tape featuring one song called "Theogony" which is no longer available.
In the summer of 1996, they recorded their first official demo named "Atheistic Emotions," with the addition of Christina Maniati (female vocals). The demo includes three songs of Atmospheric Symphonic Death Metal, a cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and an Ambient tune featuring only female vocals, keyboards and electric guitars. "Atheistic Emotions" received great responses and Odes Of Ecstasy were reckoned as one the most promising young bands to emerge from Greece.
Soon after, Dimitris Panayiotidis leaves the band, to fulfill his military obligations and was replaced by Nikos Baltas.
In May of 1997, the band recorded one new song called "Words of Insanity" which was released as promo '97. The song shows the band incorporating elements from classical music and further expanding it’s already grandiose sound. It received rave reviews, as Odes Of Ecstasy got compared with bands like to Septic Flesh, Therion and Theatre Of Tragedy, and was featured as demo of the month in the Greek Metal Hammer. This promo also helped the band sign a deal with The End Records. The debut album entitled, "Embossed Dream In Four Acts" was released in 1998 and featured six tunes that set forth paths of classical and symphonic death metal.
As the album took off right away and was widely praised for its strong artistic qualities it has become one of the best selling albums for The End Records.
Soon after Irini Tsiklou was replaced by Savvas Dandoulakis on keyboards. They immediately began work for their sophomore album. After a year of writing the band entered Esoteron Studio and recorded from November 1999-May 2000.
Their new creation, "Deceitful Melody," not only continues where they have left off but also expands their sound into so many new musical plateaus bringing Odes Of Ecstasy to the very cutting edge of today's metal!
