JOAKEM Dives Into Primordial Darkness With "Creature Of The Abyss"
Photo: Pathway Studios
Cyprus's progressive metal shapeshifter returns today with a single that turns evolutionary horror into cinematic sound
The deeply unsettling idea of survival stripped of morality — no heroes, no villains, just the cold mathematics of "eat or become eaten." That's the world JOAKEM plunges listeners into with their upcoming single "Creature Of The Abyss," dropping independently via Tunecore today, July 31st.
Spearheaded by composer, vocalist, and keyboardist Stelios Ioakim — a classically trained pianist since age six and a familiar face to international audiences after his run as a finalist on The Voice of Greece in 2018 — JOAKEM has spent the years since their 2018 debut full-length Mind Matter carving out a reputation for atmospheric, emotionally loaded progressive metal. This new single is a natural next step in that evolution, both figuratively and literally.
A Concept Born In The Abyss
The premise is a great hook: deep in the lightless trenches of an alien ocean, primitive organisms claw their way up the food chain across countless generations, becoming apex predators without ever crossing into true sentience. Instinct rules. Adaptation is the only law. It's a meditation on nature before morality exists — brutal, patient, and strangely beautiful in its indifference.
The lyrics lean fully into that concept, tracing a creature's transformation from something blind and drifting to something "unyielding," absorbing "fragments and remnants of souls" as it consumes its way toward dominance. It's body-horror by way of evolutionary biology, and it gives Ioakim's voice a lot of ground to cover.
The Sound: Ethereal Meets Demonic
Without giving away the visuals just yet, the audio side of "Creature Of The Abyss" is where JOAKEM's identity really comes through. Ioakim's voice does double duty — melodic and almost otherworldly one moment, darker and more guttural the next, without ever losing its eerie, hypnotic quality. Imagine something spectral and djinn-like slipping in and out of full metal aggression. Very impressive.
Instrumentally, the track moves through cinematic, near-silent passages built on lo-fi/nostalgic keyboard textures before crashing into thick, dark heaviness — fat guitar tones, a bass that sits right in the pocket, and drum work that lands exactly where it is supposed to. The push and pull between restraint and weight keeps the track feeling alive rather than front-loaded, and a double-bass flourish near the close gives it a beautiful finish.
The track was mixed by Philip Zilfo and mastered by Acle Kahney at 4D Sounds — a pairing that should give the final product real polish and punch.
The Band Behind The Beast
Joining Ioakim on record and on stage are longtime members Bob Saganas (guitars), Nakis Kyriakou (drums), and Miguel Trapezaris (bass) — a lineup that's helped JOAKEM grow into a genuinely compelling live act across Cyprus and beyond. Fans catching them out on the road can look forward to a stop at Bloodstock Open Air on August 9th.
Between the concept, the vocal performance, and the visual world JOAKEM has apparently built around it, this single feels like something mysterious and interesting.
"Creature Of The Abyss", single released independently via Tunecore July 31st.
JOAKEM will be at Bloodstock Open Air on August 9th of this year.
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