KING - K review

 

KING - K

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

So after reading about this band my first thought was to expect some traditional South American Blackened Death Metal. Yes you have that but there's so much more to this act. I'm not gonna say it's mind blowing. But there are so many surprizes on here that it's definitely something you least suspect. Then again if you're a Monty Python fan, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition. 

So for starters a little history for ya. KING is a four piece act who hail from Colombia, South America. The band started out back in 2005. Presently their guitarist / vocalist, Israel Bathroz, is their only original member. Now since starting out the band has released a handful of short form releases and two full lengths. This one here, K, is their third full length. 

Now like I said no one expects the Spanish Inquisition. And with this album no one expects a Blackened Death Metal band from Columbia to start off their album with an intro, "The Gathering" that sounds more like the opening credits background music for a Hollywood super hero flick. The actual album kicks in with "I-I" and that song reminds ya of VADER or BELPHEGOR. The vocal style is there but also the brutal and slightly Tech Death song structures. 

The next cut opens with an Eastern European Folk guitar style solo. I mean something out of Bulgaria but then kicks into some straight up Blackened Death from an Eastern European nightmare. I mean I could go on about how each cut on here displays something which you would not expect from a Blackened Death Metal act from Columbia. Even "Nine Angels Blazes", which is totally brutal, but also adds melody. There's a time they go full Death Doom on one cut plus later on the band covers a DEAD CONGREGATION song "Only Ashes Remain". I lost it by then in a good way. 

All in all KING's third full length is obviously a listener's pleasure for extreme insanity. Yes it's a great listen especially if you like uncomfortable sounding extreme music pitted against your own pre-conceived beliefs on what comes from where and why it ain't like that. Oops, you were wrong!  

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/k

HELLION - Rebel's Curse review

HELLION - Rebel's Curse

Awakening Records




I'm going to get through this review without using the term "thrash revival". I'm going on a diet as far as that term is needed. With that said I guess it's obvious I'm about to talk about a thrash release. HELLION are a cool three piece thrash act from Colombia. Back in the day when thrash started out I was a huge consumer of goods from Columbia. But I won't go into details.


What we have here is the third of a reissue line from Awakening Records. That label has reissued this band's The Rising of Wizards demo from 2016, their debut full length Hordes of Witchery from 2017 and this one here from 2019. I checked out those releases but decided to talk about this their most recent one.


The tagline on this one is (once again) blackened thrash but don't let your mind become numb with bias opinion. This is not your typical US generic stuff. HELLION are true followers of the raw old school sounding thrash which will not push boundaries of this age. On the other hand this is something cool for people who acknowledge the greatness of South American extreme metal meets old school Teutonic warfare with just a hint of West Coast swagger.


Personally I think this band likes some early KREATOR. As far as a more modern take I'm thinking MERCILESS DEATH. Either way it's a handshake to the past's raw attack with some evil incarnate. The vocals, which come across as vile spirited hate, are the main stand out. The leads are OK. Which all culminates in the riffs, this is thrash you know, that are reminiscent of the past. Amazing rhythm section that totally knocks this up a notch. Welcome to 2020 people and to be a decent enough thrash band you've gotta check out.


https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningRecordsCN/

https://www.facebook.com/HellionMetalMedallo/