Noch

Noch is the principal alias of Thomas Paparizos (born August 15, 1986, in Larissa, Greece), a Greek extreme metal musician best known for his long-term role as guitarist, composer and later also bassist within the Hellenic black metal underground. With a career spanning two decades, Noch is recognized for his disciplined musicianship, textural riffing, and understated but essential contribution to multiple projects. Noch is most closely associated with Black Winter, a band he joined in 2005. Serving as guitarist for two decades (2005–2025) and transitioning to bass from 2025 onward, he became one of the group’s core architectural figures. His guitar work is featured on early releases such as the In Cosmic Installation / Onwards the Dismal Kingdoms split (2006), as well as later recordings including Cyclones of Infinite Dimensions (EP, 2015), Virtual Vortex (EP, 2015), and the split Conscious Self Destruction of the New World (2016). Across these releases, Noch’s playing balances cold precision with cavernous atmosphere, reinforcing Black Winter’s bleak and confrontational sound. Beyond Black Winter, Noch is an active member of Thyrathen, where since 2022 he has taken on a more expansive creative role. In Thyrathen, he performs guitars and bass while also contributing choral vocals and songwriting. This broader involvement is fully realized on the band’s second album Lakonic (2024), which showcases a restrained, ritualistic approach and highlights his compositional sensibility. Earlier in his career, Paparizos also played guitar in Gallows Tree, further grounding his experience in underground metal scenes beyond black metal’s strict boundaries.