Athenian Progressive Metal Band Calyces Reveal Single ‘Swirling Towards the Light’

Albut the single, the band comment:

"Swirling Towards the Light" is the first track of our new album, and it was the first one we worked on when we started creating it. It’s probably the most challenging song to play on the record, and it has a vibe that reminds me of the old 'Tardive Dyskinesia' days (the band I had with Stavros Rigos, the current drummer of Calyces). Lyrically, the song dives into the journey of breaking free and discovering yourself in the unknown. It’s about having the courage to leave the familiar behind, riding the waves of change as we spin into uncharted territory, where home isn’t a place—it’s where you feel alive. The video was filmed in the same room where the album was recorded, at Ignite Studios in Athens."

Calyces is an Athenian progressive rock/heavy metal band led by Manthos Stergiou, formerly of Tardive Dyskinesia. Joined by Stavros Rigos, Giannis Golfis, and Loukas Giannakitsas, the group blends '00s sludge prog metal with '70s progressive rock influences. Their debut album, Impulse to Soar (2020), was highlighted in numerous media outlets worldwide, receiving widespread critical acclaim and placed the band on the global map of prog metal.

In 2023, the band announced the return of drummer Stavros Rigos (ex Poem), marking a reunion of long-time collaborators. Stavros and Manthos previously worked together in Tardive Dyskinesia, where they composed and extensively toured for the band’s first two albums, "Distorting Point of View" (2006) and "The Sea of See Through Skins" (2008). The chemistry between them remains strong, as they channel their collective energy into creating the next phase of Calyces’ journey. As of 2024, Calyces have completed the recording of their second full-length album, which is set to be released in early 2025.

Their recently announced sophomore album 'Fleshy Waves of Probability' marks the essence of the band's new era, being an album with the holistic sense of the term, rather than a collection of songs. The overall heavier sound and the coherent vibe bring forward the collective compositional purpose that was to capture the inspiration of progress and the forward movement of a band that has set themselves on track. Making the natural sound a priority and laying down organic parts of equally complex and straightforward metal, Calyces find their pace through addictive efficiency and powerful delivery, meant to resonate with a live audience.

The band have this to say about their latest record:

"Our debut album, Impulse to Soar, depicted conception and the beginning of life. Fleshy Waves of Probability, continues that journey. It explores birth, adaptation to a new world, and the infinite possibilities that lie ahead – where we can go and how our lives take shape through countless choices. It is a work about freedom. About the ability to create without limits, without a predetermined plan, letting each moment guide you to the next. It resembles the improvisation of a dancer in a state of ecstasy – every movement is a wave of probability giving rise to the next. That’s how we feel during the composition process. We begin with a blank canvas. A riff, an idea, a brushstroke, and from there, the journey unfolds with endless possibilities. Fleshy Waves of Probability speaks to this absolute freedom, but also to the struggle to achieve it. It is an ode to the fight for liberation – emotional, social, personal. Along the way, there are obstacles and hardships, oppression and fear, but also the deep yearning to rise, create, and find your own path."