Gio Smet
Giography Vol I
Label: Gio Smets Records
Out: March 24th, 2025
Playing time: 01:13:18
Giovanni ‘Gio’ Smet is a Belgian singer and multi-instrumentalist. In his long career as a musician, he has already brought several bands and projects to life. He now runs his own recording studio and his own record label, Gio Smet Records. He is now releasing a showcase of his work to date via this label.
Giotopia is a Symphonic Progressive Metal project founded in 2017, in which the musician obviously plays all the instruments himself and also takes his place on the microphone. Fortunately, the progressive part is not too big. Very Melodic Metal. In which Gio Smet shows his skills as a singer. However, it remains unclear who took over the female vocal part. Three albums were released between 2017 and 2021. Devil’s Desire is based on a collaboration between Gio and the Brazilian singer and guitarist Jefferson Moura Melo aka Jeff Metal. The song ‘Devil’s Desire’ comes from the band’s only album to date, ‘The Soul Remains Alive’ (2020). Straightforward Power Metal can be heard. Gio Smet also takes on all the instruments and vocals for Horrorwish. The songs come from the two albums ‘No Place to Hide’ (2020) and ‘Tales from Death’ (2023). This one is more thrashy. As a result, the vocals also sound harsh. Wolfpact is once again a collaboration between two musicians. In addition to Gio, German singer and guitarist Jürgen Wulfes is also on board. Well-made Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is presented here. The songs come from the 2024 EP ‘Alpha Wolf’, which was previously released as a single. I recently reviewed the album ‘Shadowe People’ from the latest project Midnightmare here.
On ‘Giography Vol I’ you will only find songs from the musician’s more recent past. These date back almost ten years. And it shows how varied Gio Smet’s music is and was. Should a possible ‘Vol II’ then provide an overview of his earlier work?
Horrorwish – Pretty Boys Must Die: https://youtu.be/9I8F9smnxEY?si=dIDU
Track list:
- Giotopia – Egar’s Return
- Giotopia – To War
- Giotopia – Trinity Of Evil
- Giotopia – Choice Of Heart
- Devil’s Desire – Devil’s Desire
- Horrorwish – From Hell
- Horrorwish – Deadly Sinners
- Horrorwish – Pretty Boys Must Die
- Horrorwish – The Ghost Of Lady V
- Wolfpact – Iron Heart
- Wolfpact – I Bleed In Black
- Wolfpact – When Angels Die
- Midnightmares – Sanctuarium
- Midnightmares – Shadow People
- Midnightmares – Wichasha Wakan
