Hellbutcher su relativno novi bend na sceni, izdali su jedan demo i sada debut album, ali članovi benda su svojevrsna supergrupa. Vokal je poznat po svom bendu Nifelheim, kultnim švedskim black thrash speed metal facama. Ostali članovi su svirali ili sviraju u Bloodbath, Aeternus, Gaahls Wyrd, Unleashed i mnogim drugima. Što imamo na ovom albumu? 8 stvari old school black speed metala sa podosta 80ih utjecaja kao što su rani Sodom ili Kreator plus švedske melodije s maidenovskim prizvukom, odličnim black vokalom plus nešto dobro starog hardcore punka i d beata. Što se tiče tekstova, oni su ono, in your face kao što su naslovi Hordes of the Horned God, The Sword of Wrath, te meni najmilija Death’s Rider. Ovaj album je prava energetska bomba i jako me zanima kako ovo zvuči uživo siguran sam da odlično. Ako već moram usporediti s nekim bio bi Nifelheim miješan sa švedskim Bewitched. Odličan album.
Sweden’s Deathstars are back with new, fifth studio opus. This is the first studio full length since 2014 and their last album ‘The Perfect Cult’. Anyway, this one contains ten songs of industrial cold, almost inhuman robotic metal like we are used to from this band. I was glad when I saw this album was announced because I like this band very much. Although they mix industrial cold metal with gothic, there are couple of really catchy and melancholic melodies in their song structures and their songs always had an appeal to me that was hard to grasp, but it was there. Vocals are gothic-like, sometimes almost spoken not sung but they evolve into great melody in many choruses backed with excellent female backing vocals that are somehow already a trademark for this band. This is not their best work ever, but songs like ‘This Is’, ‘Midnight Party’, the title song or ‘An Atomic Prayer’ are for sure killers and winners for me on this album. Good one indeed and welcome back Deathstars!
Century are hailing from Sweden and have been in the scene since 2020. This is their first debut full length opus after releasing a demo and couple of singles. As far as I understand this is a duo, members are Leo Ekstrom Sollenmo (drums, guitars bass) and Staffan Tengner (vocals, guitars, bass). This one contains nine songs. Music of Century is rawer and melodic version of heavy metal, reminding me a bit of all those early NWOBHM bands, that influence is here for sure, also I can hear some eighties influences Mercyful Fate and King Diamond here and there. But, there is also fresh energy for the new metal millennium on this album with fast songs like ‘The Fighting Eagle’ or galloping ‘Sinister Star’. Vocals on this album are epic, neither mellow nor too high, just somehow right to fit music perfectly. Guitar work is impeccable and there are some melodies that you catch yourself humming to later after listening to this album with that distinct Swedish style of metal like Hammerfall coming to mind or maybe Sabaton. My personal favorites are above said songs, but also ‘Master of Hell’ and ‘Servants of the Iron Mask’ but you will have to find yours for yourselves. So, this is a fine true blooded heavy metal eighties meet modern times record with no philosophy or bullshit.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 