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Cyprus’ Prog Metal Act JOAKEM Unleashes New Single & Video for “Origins”
“Origins” has been released today April 17th and it is available on all major streaming platforms. Stream the single here: https://ffm.to/pqopj2w
“Origins” is the first song from the new album - the opening chapter of a story that unfolds track by track. As the band stated:
"On a barren alien world, the land rages against itself - volcanoes tearing open the crust, superstorms scouring the skies, asteroids carving fire across the surface, and a climate that knows no mercy. Yet from the heavens a fallen comet delivers something fragile: microscopic life. Tiny single cells scattered across the hostile world, and against all odds, they begin to spread and grow.”
The album is based on the concept that nature itself contains neither good nor evil - only survival - while sentience creates the fragile boundary where morality begins to emerge.
This story reveals a harsh truth: in nature, there is no good or evil, but only the will to survive. Hunger hunts, fear flees, and life endures by whatever means it must.
Yet when sentience enters the equation, survival grows more complicated. Awareness introduces choice, and with choice comes a fragile boundary where survival can blur into cruelty, and necessity can be mistaken for malice. The same instincts that preserve life can, in thinking beings, harden into manipulation or violence.
Still, this story is also a testament to something rare: the ability of conscious beings to recognize that boundary and struggle against it. Faced with trials that threaten their very existence, they can unite, adapt, and evolve beyond the raw impulses that birthed them.
And beneath it all moves a deeper force: the indifferent will of nature. It does not judge, does not mourn, does not forgive. It simply continues. In its vast design there is no morality - only survival - and the burden of defining good and evil rests solely with those aware enough to ask the question.
The single was mixed by Philip Zilfo and mastered by Acle Kahney (TESSERACT) at 4D Sounds. Artwork by Remedy Art Design. Photos by PathwayStudios. Logo by Axel Sord.
JOAKEM is:
Stelios Ioakim - Vocals, Keys, Songwriting, Lyrics
Bob Saganas - Guitars
Miguel Trapezaris - Bass
Nakis Kyriakou - Drums
Discography:
The Path (Single, Independent, 2018)
Generation Z (Single, Independent, 2018)
Mind Matter (Full-Length, Independent, 2018)
Origins (Single, Independent, 2026)
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About
Spearheaded by composer, vocalist, and keyboardist Stelios Ioakim, JOAKEM delivers a powerful and emotionally charged progressive metal experience, blending atmospheric depth and gripping melodies with expressive heaviness and rhythmic complexity. The project thrives through dynamic live collaboration with some of Cyprus’s top musicians, together with long-standing band members Bob Saganas (guitars), Nakis Kyriakou (drums), and Miguel Trapezaris (bass), unleashing the songs as a compelling live experience.
A classically trained pianist since the age of six, Stelios Ioakim began expanding his musical journey in 2009 as a member of several bands, performing in numerous venues and festivals. Over the years, he evolved into a highly versatile vocalist, keyboardist, exploratory sound designer, and composer, drawing from progressive rock, metal, classical, fusion and ambient influences. Stelios rose to wider prominence as the runner-up finalist in The Voice of Greece (2018), offering international publicity.
In 2018, Joakem was formed and released the singles “The Path” and “Generation Z”, followed by the debut 8 track full-length album “Mind Matter”, showcasing diverse vocal styles, haunting ambience, evolving time signatures, aggressive guitars and heavy synth work.
Since the album’s release, JOAKEM has expanded into a full live band, performing extensively at venues and festivals across both local and international stages, while actively collaborating with management and booking agencies. With an unwavering vision and a dedicated live line-up, they continue to evolve as one of the most dynamic acts emerging from the Mediterranean. JOAKEM is currently in the process of producing a new studio album and music videos, further refining their progressive signature sound and cinematic musical storytelling.
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