Album Review: Occult Kenji – Of Gods And Ancestors (Thalassocracy Records)

Cypriot metal band, Occult Kenji, will release their debut full length album titled Of Gods and Ancestors on October 7th via Thalassocracy Records.

Occult Kenji was formed in 2018 by musician and author Marios Michaelides, and, with two EPs behind them (2022’s Drunkard Chronicles and 2023’s Eis Mnemen) return now with their highly anticipated album, Of Gods And Ancestors. Known for blending mythological storytelling with diverse heavy metal styles, the band builds on years of experience in the scene, with Marios having been in bands who supported acts like Uriah Heep, Mnemic and Grave Digger.

Here on Of Gods And Ancestors, the band dives deep into Bronze Age myths, poetic sacrifice, and ancient legends across seven tracks. With a dynamic blend of harsh and clean vocals layered over atmospheric soundscapes, Occult Kenji crafts an immersive and emotional experience. Featuring Moonspell’s Hugo Ribeiro on drums, Of Gods And Ancestors solidifies the band’s unique position in the metal underground, weaving Mediterranean heritage into every tale.

Occult Kenji is predominantly just Marios Michaelides on guitars, bass and vocals but operate with guests and session artists. Here on Of Gods and Ancestors, they are Hugo Ribeiro (Moonspell) on drums, Alex Michaelsson (Daggr) with additional vocals on tracks 1, 2 and 3 and Dima Faustov (HeartBeat Brass Band) with clarinet on track 7.

The album kicks off with The Hand of Nergal. As someone not very familiar with Occult Kenji, this track serves as my introduction to both the band and Of Gods and Ancestors as a whole. It opens with melodic guitar work that builds into a solid, bass-heavy riff. The drums gradually rise into the mix before the vocals arrive — harsh, powerful, and full of depth — sitting perfectly alongside the chunky, low-end riffing. There’s some great stop-start interplay, and the track confidently moves between different heavy genres. The drumming stands out, injecting real energy throughout. The genre-shifting feels a little quirky at first, but it works. Eventually, the heaviness gives way to a more melodic, almost folk-inspired atmospheric section, which transitions smoothly back into the heavier rock rhythms. It’s an interesting and dynamic opener.

That momentum continues into The Sea Peoples, which blends strong riffs and thick bass tones with punchy drums and a touch of melodic guitar work. It’s a smooth listen, with the melody adding drama and a hint of melancholy. The steady beat keeps your foot tapping and your head nodding along. Vocally, the track shifts to higher-toned cleans with a power metal edge. They work really well here and suit the overall vibe. As things progress, the energy lifts — the drums intensify, the riffs speed up, and harsh vocals return, adding extra weight to the track’s second half.

Cult of the Great White Bull begins with a brilliant contrast — clean, ringing melodic guitars that suddenly crash into crunchy riffs, backed by powerful drums and solid bass. The vocals come in fierce and intense, setting the tone. But Occult Kenji clearly like to keep us on our toes. There’s a sharp switch into smooth, clean singing that feels unexpected but adds a nice contrast. As the rhythm builds, we move into a chanting section, which then gives way to driving riffs and crashing drums once again. It’s unpredictable at times, even challenging, but that uniqueness makes it exciting to listen to.

Kings Nothing follows, changing the pace with a cleaner sound and a touch of 80s-style echo in the production. Despite the lighter tone, it still carries plenty of groove and chunky rhythm. The vocals are well-delivered, and once again the drumming stands out. So does the melodic guitar work. I might be imagining it, but there could be a bit of a Metallica tribute going on here — not just in the title, but also in some of the lyrics and structure. Whether intentional or not, it adds another layer of interest. Either way, it’s a strong track and a welcome change of pace that shows another side of the band.

Apollo’s Cup is up next and continues to keep us on our toes with an opening segment of softened vocals and sweet melody. As the song evolves, the drums start growing into it and the riff, heavy with bass, adds a bouncy vibe. It’s quite an extended section and is a little repetitive too. The beat drops away and we head back into cleans, which are really nicely sung with some solid harmonisation. From a flow and creativity perspective, the song fits well and is interesting, but for me, it’s one of the least exciting songs on Of Gods and Ancestors so far.

Approaching the end, we have our penultimate track, Death’s Road. After quite a mild previous track, it’s nice to see Occult Kenji recognise it is time to pick the heaviness up. This is a fiery song, not sung in English (I presume Greek, due to the last track being a Greek word related to Apollo). The verses are heavy with strong riffs and some growled vocals. The chorus cleans up a bit but keeps the energy up. It’s an energetic ripper with superb drums and a pummelling riff. At times, the bouncy nature of the riff adds a pop punk vibe, especially in the ending segment where the guitars drop a very poppy melody. I like this one a lot.

And that brings us to our closing track, Hylates. There is a heavy folk and atmospheric vibe at the start with softly sung, prayer-like vocals over an ambient bed. The drums and riffs join in quickly, adding some heavy picking and depth before it tails off back to the atmospheric stuff. These transitions back and forth are plentiful and seriously smooth. As the heaviness picks back up, we get the sound of the clarinet joining in – it sounds great and really adds depth and even more layers of atmosphere. It’s a long song, with lots of different Occult Kenji elements coming together to create something quirky, interesting and memorable.

There is clearly a lot of talent within the mind of Occult Kenji. Lots of ideas, lots of skill too, and it makes Of Gods and Ancestors a very listenable and creative album. The multi-genre aspect means you never really know which direction a song, or even part of a song, will go in, and that adds excitement to the listen. The production is fine, it sounds rich and that adds more depth, and there are some memorable vocal and drum performances in particular. There is also a load of nice melody, decent riffs and I love the clarinet addition. All in all, Of Gods and Ancestors is a very strong album, offering something a little different that should please metal fans of the more open-minded variety.

You can grab your copy of Of Gods and Ancestors from Occult Kenji, here.

Tracklist:

1. The Hand of Nergal
2. The Sea Peoples
3. Cult of the Great White Bull
4. King Nothing
5. Apollo’s Cup
6. Death’s Road
7. Hylates

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