Blackened Thrash Metal – Page 4

Black Anvil – Hail Death (Review)

Black Anvil are from the US and this is their third album of Black Metal.

As the first song Still Reborn slowly unfolds you know you’re in for a treat. There is a Thrash influence to the band that allows their songs to have somewhat of an epic feel to them rather akin to classic Metallica; cross this with an expansive Black Metal feeling the likes of which Enslaved create, (minus Viking influences), and give this whole idea a frozen Black Metal makeover and you’ve an idea of where Black Anvil are coming from.

Initial impressions? …And Justice For All being slowly eaten by Mardraum – Beyond the Within. High praise indeed.

And some of these riffs! Dear me. Excuse me while I have a sit down and compose myself. The band have obviously hit their stride with this album; each song is a powerful collection of riffs, solos, ideas, emotive passages and pulse-raising sections. The overall song is never sacrificed for any of these though, and each track is a delight.

The main vocals are Black Metal screams done in an Enslaved style, while additional vocals consist of everything from gang shouts to mystical cleans.

At over an hour and eleven minutes of music this never gets old or stale; Black Anvil have a lot to offer the listener and it’s easy to get sucked into their world.

A warm, organic production complements the songs and allows them to get under your skin and into your brain. There’s something particularly satisfying about the drum sound especially.

This is an exceptional album written by people who appear to be channelling the essential essence of Metal. This album deserves to be in your collection.

Black Anvil are just too good!

Bloodthirst – Chalice of Contempt (Review)

Poland’s Bloodthirst play Black/Thrash Metal with a hard edge.

This is harsh music that positively bursts forth with pure belligerence and arrogance.

For all their severity they also find the time to introduce some melodies and leads into the proceedings which provide depth and interest.

The addition of Blackened riffs and blastbeats into the Thrash Metal template is a welcome change from the hordes of Thrash bands who all want to be Testament. Some songs are more Thrash-based than others, while others sport this Black Metal influence more openly.

In fact, sometimes I’m torn between describing them as a Blackened Thrash band, or a Thrashy Black Metal band. Not that it really matters, but it demonstrates that they do something more with the the Thrash template than simply repeating what others have done before them. Either way; it’s Metal to the core.

The vocals are abrasive and uncompromising, falling more into the Black Metal camp than the traditional Thrash one. Snarling and raging; they’re not to be underestimated.

A very good album – give it a listen.

Cultfinder – Hell’s Teeth (Review)

This is UK band Cultfinder and they play Black Metal with a hefty Thrash influence.

A relatively short release of 24 minutes; after a perfunctory intro, (and one interlude), we get 5 tracks of blazing, bestial Blackened Thrash full of Satanic energy coursing through its corrupted veins.

The songs are primitive and atavistic, harking back to simpler times of a purified Metal lineage without outside influences or detractions. The band are fully aware of the path they tread and do so with pride.

The vocals bark their way from the gutter and scrape like nails down a blackboard. Even so, they manage to effectively deliver a wealth of hooks.

The wills of the various musicians are nefariously bent towards the creation and propagation of primeval Metal, and they do this admirably and to full effect. The songs and the riffs stick in the brain even after the final song The Scourging Angel ends in a squeal of feedback.

Apart from a previously released demo this is the band’s first release, and thus is laid a foundation for the future. A terrifying future where Cultfinder’s Blackened vision has come to pass. Get in on the action early and have a listen to Hell’s Teeth.