Devastator – Conjurers of Cruelty (Review)

This is the second album from UK black/thrash metallers Devastator.

Conjurers of Cruelty boasts 51 minutes of material, (44 without the two bonus tracks), delivering a feast of filthy riffs, corroded teeth, and overgrown claws.

It’s like old-school Slayer and Metallica lost a fight to Venom and Motörhead or something. Throw in a bit of Darkthrone, Hellripper, and Bewitcher as secondary reference points, and you’ll have a good idea of how to approach Conjurers of Cruelty. In other words, it’s riotously good fun, and almost guaranteed to give you whiplash.

Constructed from classic thrash ingredients and then given a blackened overhaul, Conjurers of Cruelty is simultaneously polished and raw, in every sense. The album’s sound, the band’s performances, and the songwriting all share these seemingly contradictor attributes, but not to its detriment. Devastator’s well-crafted music is built from choice ingredients, and then passionately and aggressively delivered with unfettered enthusiasm and sonic bite.

These songs are infectious. Forged from unbreakable metallic chains and driven by catchy riffs and harsh vocal hooks, this is a collection of moreish tracks that insist you bang your head. Despite many strong ones to choose from, my two favourites are the longest ones here. I really like Deathspell Defloration as It’s packed with riffs that don’t quit, a menacing atmosphere, and overall is just a damn good song. The other is Rabid Morbid Death, which boasts the sort of emotive melody that’s just amazing.

Conjurers of Cruelty is thoroughly enjoyable record. Blackthrash is a style I don’t visit often, but when I do, I want to be hit hard by visceral energy, killer riffs, and snappy hooks. Devastator deliver the goods.

Very highly recommended.