BELITH - Hounds of Hell EP review

 

BELITH - Hounds of Hell EP

Godz ov War Productions

So here we have a cool debut EP from a Polish four piece act who are musically a bit of a few things. There's four cuts on this release. Some come over as Thrash while others are in the vein of Black Metal. The weird part is that the two never meet as in true Blackened Thrash.

Obviously this band is searching for an identity. I really like their first song "Shepherd of Wolves" and the fourth cut "War Dogs". Both songs are evil sounding Thrash. Plus the bass is so prominent. The riffs are dark plus the guitar soloing is cool fluid sounds with sparking tones. The two other cuts fall in with a Melodic Black Metal style. But it's damm fuckin Polish all the way. 

What's wild is that BELITH is made up of one guy and three women. That's kind've a twist since it's usually three guys and a woman who's either the vocalist or bassist. But times have changed and a Polish band leads the way.

 

Specifically you've got Andrzej Plaszczyk producing the caustic vocals. The damm cool guitar sounds are provided by Maria Kopciuch. The bass work which I like so much on this release is performed by Kalina Krzemianowska. Finally Milena Dmochowska provides a robust drum sound throughout. 

It's a decent release as I said earlier. Personally I'd like to see what they'd do on a full length with more song writing activity placed at their disposal. 

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/hounds-of-hell

HELLFUCK - 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God review

 

HELLFUCK - 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God 

Godz ov War Productions

The genre tagline on this is Speed Metal / Thrash and they're from Poland. Before I go into that let's explore the line-up. HELLFUCK is a four piece act who started out in 2021. The band is made up of veteran Metal musicians from a few known Polish Extreme Metal acts and some not so. For me a long time fan of Polish Extreme Metal this is like a super group. 

You've got Skullripper (aka: Marcin Sienkiel) on guitar and vocals. He's in one of the greatest Polish Death Metal bands of all time, AZARATH. Next you got guitarist Nelek (aka: Daniel Wojtowicz) who was in the Death Metal band BANISHER. On bass there's Armagog (aka: Michal Samol) who's been in a ton of bands but also was the live bass player for AZARATH. Finally there's Inferno (aka: Zbigniew Robert Promiński) on drums who is also in AZARATH and BEHEMOTH. 

So yeah I said "super group" and yeah in all honesty those type of bands are 50/50 when producing something within their supposed potential. I'll say HELLFUCK is on the high side of supposed greatness. This is the second full length by HELLFUCK. Their debut, Diabolic Slaughter, came out in 2022 and also on Godz ov War Productions. Screw me for missing out on that one. 

As far as 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God goes yeah it's part Speed Metal but there's definitely some early SLAYER influence going on here. Skullripper is doing his best to come across as Tom Araya at times. But his riffs are killer as fuck. I like Nelek's solos a lot and of course you've got a rhythm section from hell.

All in all this is a great Thrash album, obviously better than the big names putting out stuff this year. But this is obviously a side project for the band members of AZARATH to explore more fun and extreme insanity. The last AZARATH album, Saint Desecration, came out in 2020. A year later HELLFUCK started. In my not so humble opinion AZARATH's Blasphemers Maledictions from 2011 is one of the greatest Death Metal albums of all time. If you don't believe me then go listen to it or go fuck yourself. Hey Polish Power rules again!

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/9-nails-hammered-into-the-flesh-of-god

HIGHGATE - Prophecies Of Eternal Horror review

 

HIGHGATE - Prophecies Of Eternal Horror

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Here we have the fourth full length by this three piece act who hail from the great state of Kentucky. It's my first time hearing em. Prior to this release on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions the band's early stuff came out on Totalrust Music which is a label outta Israel. Their last release was a split in 2014. So do the math because it's been a long fuckin time since this band hit the studio. 

Be that as it may the tagline about HIGHGATE is that they're Sludge Metal / Doom. OK I'll give em that but they're not NOLA Sludge. They're definitely not Eastern North Carolina Stoner Sludge. I will say there's an influence of Northeast Sludge since I saw GRIEF five fuckin times. But in the end HIGHGATE might be something of their own twisted accord. 

Listening to this is like being in a hospice room for a week with a dying delusional cancer patient. The vocals are wails of fuckin pain educed insanity. The melodies are slow but not too much crushing. There's a killer solo or two. The drum work on a few cuts comes off as a cadence for a funeral procession. 

There are five cuts on this release. I think the first three are amazing. The last two are OK in my mind. It's 2026 and if ya wanna hear something insane then here ya go. This band is from Kentucky a state that has Bigfoot, Dogman and UFO sightings. Whatafuck? Of course ya gonna like it if you're tired of generic bullshit. Yeah this band rules!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/prophecies-of-eternal-horror

WINTER ETERNAL - Unveiled Nightsky review

 

WINTER ETERNAL - Unveiled Nightsky

Hells Headbangers Records

So there's a lot to unpack here. WINTER ETERNAL, cool name by the way, is a one man Black Metal band. The one man is Soulreaper (aka: Stelios Makris) who is responsible for the vocals, guitars and bass. The drum work is performed by session player V. Nuctemeron. Just for the record WINTER ETERNAL started out back in 2011. Originally this band was from Athens, Greece but relocated to Glasgow, Scotland. 

This is WINTER ETERNAL's fifth full length and third released on Hells Headbangers Records. Now for someone who does buy stuff from HHR over many years. This band has escaped my notice and I don't have an answer to why. Be that as it may musically this is not anywhere close to what you know sound-wise by any Greek or Scotish BM acts. 

If anything this release comes across as something similar to the more obscure Swedish Melodic BM acts of the past. But with a definite revamp to the style which it's fuckin needed for a while. And look it took a fuckin Greek to do it. So hey Scotland some immigrants to your nation are cool as opposed to those other ones who are assholes. Which lead to young girls having to carry knives and hatchets to defend themselves. 

But anyways if ya like Black Metal (ah duh?) then get this release, turn the sound up to a comfortable listening level, then kick back and relax. Let the waves of cold tremolo picked riffs cascade over you. The vocals will stagger you to be awake. Yeah I like this a lot. The cover artwork is cool as well.

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://winter-eternal.bandcamp.com/album/unveiled-nightsky

DEVENIAL VERDICT - Old Blood Fresh Wounds compilation review

 

DEVENIAL VERDICT - Old Blood  Fresh Wounds

Transcending Obscurity Records

I've been a fan of Finland's DEVENIAL VERDICT for a few years now. I consider their 2022 debut full length, Ash Blind and their sophomore album Blessing of Despair from 2024 to be amazing. But it must be noted that DEVENIAL VERDICT are not a typical wake and bake Death Metal band. I've always called em Death Metal for late night listeners.

So when this came in for review I was shocked that they came out with a new album that quick. Thankfully I was wrong because this is actually early material per say. Since the band has been around for twenty years they decided to come out with a release which was part old songs given a revamp plus their Soulthirst EP which came out in 2016. 

In all honesty this release is for DEVENIAL VERDICT fans new and old. I think it's cool. Listening to their early stuff you realize they were your average modern Death Metal act with some Tech Death style thrown in. I mean it was the late 2000s / early 2010s. If I heard this stuff back in the day I'd say it was OK. Although "The Unborn God" is damm good.

Now the important portion is the inclusion of their Soulthirst EP from 2016 because it's on this release where you can hear the band progressing to where they are now. I really like this part because what came next six years later was their debut Ash Blind. It's not a perfect graduation because the band is still sound-wise in their early phase but still it's cool. 

I guess I'll have to file this one under the term "compilation" and a damm good one for fans only. Then again "reissue" works just as well.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://devenialverdictband.bandcamp.com/album/old-blood-fresh-wounds

IRON SLUG - Deceit and Misery review

 

IRON SLUG - Deceit and Misery

Road to Masochist Records

I've said it before but it bares repeating. Regardless if a new band sounds like something you've heard in the past. If they're good at what they do then that's all it matters. Case in point if you played me this and asked where this band came from. I'd say somewhere in the Midwest USA maybe Indiana or Illinois. And I'd be really fuckin wrong.

 

IRON SLUG, great band name by the way, are a two piece Sludgey Doom act from Kent, England, Hey let's give it up for Kent! They originally started out in 2022. Since then they've released a demo plus a handful of short form releases. Deceit and Misery is their five song full length debut. Which means there's a few long cuts which trudge along. 

So what's cool about this album / band, well everything. The line-up consists of Will Rayner on guitars & vocals and Will Bond who plays bass, drums and gives backing vocals. Now like I mentioned earlier musically this is classic sounding Sludgey Doom which is as American as apple pie. and it's done so fuckin well. 

Not only are the riffs bone crushing but the overall atmosphere with the rhythm section gives off this mournful atmosphere. Will Rayner is a damm cool vocalist. He keeps things sounding clean but painful. Remember people it's Doom therefore we're not happy. 

Yeah this is a great debut album by IRON SLUG. Keep an eye on this band because I predict they'll be huge and not just because of their mammoth sized riffs.     

https://roadtomasochist.co.uk/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_wGNoC6lGs

WITCHING HOUR - Descending Where Time Has Ceased to Exist review

 

WITCHING HOUR - Descending Where Time Has Ceased to Exist

Dying Victims Productions

So it's some time since Germany's WITCHING HOUR graced us with a new release. When this came in for review I was like hey I know this band. And yeah because I have their And Silent Grief Shadows the Passing Moon CD from 2018 which came out on Hells Headbangers Records. After giving this new one a listen I played the CD I have and then thought yeah I've got a few things to say. 

But first off a little history. WITCHING HOUR started back in 2006. This three piece, who are all original members today, released their debut full length, Rise of the Desecrated, in 2009. What we have here is their fourth studio album. What's cool about WITCHING HOUR at least in the past was that they had one foot in their nation's traditional Blackened Thrash template and the other in NWOBHM. 

On this new eight song full length WITCHING HOUR have accepted their role as being the new standard bearers of great traditional Teutonic Blackened Thrash for the most part. I mean who does not like evil sounding German music which reminds ya of early DESTRUCTION? Now sure they're on the raw side of production values but hey just turn up the volume. 

I'll just say that this new one from WITCHING HOUR is damm good. I'll take this over what the original Teutonic Thrash three are doing today easily. Nuff Said! 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/descending-where-time-has-ceased-to-exist