MIDNIGHT - Sweet Death and Ecstasy

Raging edgy metal from Ohio, MIDNIGHT has been waving the banners of Satanic thrash royalty for an entire era, and now they are coming out with their third album to hold the throne as black n roll’s most savage band.

By the time “Poison Trash” hits I’m on the edge of my seat and already into the bodacious grooves layered under toxic levels of distortion.

The album is short and anything but sweet, however, that’s not to say it isn’t good. Although I think the momentum and energy behind their first two albums is a leap ahead of what is on the third release, Sweet Death and Ecstasy, there is still a lot of potency left in MIDNIGHT that shredders and thrashers are going to be able to enjoy for years. “Poison Trash” definitely has what you might be looking for in a stand out MIDNIGHT track, and should definitely be expected to get the crowd wild at any show.

You can feel the almost satirical darkness of the band in tracks like “Melting Brain”, which are ludicrous lyrically, but conjured with such a thickness in Athenar’s songwriting that you may find yourself gladly sinking into this rocking Hell while laughing at the tongue and cheek lyrics.

The Venom influence is paramount everywhere and most certainly obvious on “Rabid!” and “Bitch Mongrel,” two tracks on the album’s latter half with that definite raw punk rock style that clashes with speed and and deep bluesy guitar tones dripping with acidic abrasiveness.

Album Review: Bat - Wings of Chains

Bat
Wings of Chains
(Hells Headbangers)

The new Bat is a terrorizer. Conjured from an acidic pool of groovy riffs, combining talents from Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, and Blunt Force Trauma, Ryan Waste leads an all out assault with his new school thrash band on their first full length LP. From first track to last, Wings of Chains is complete with 12 face ripping ragers.

Although this is their first full length, Bat have had plenty of time to perfect their craft. Since their demo in 2013, Bat have been carving their niche into the blackened speed genre.

Wings of Chains is a short album, clocking in at just under a half hour, but that's the way these Richmond speed metal freaks would prefer it. It's in and out, and leaves you wanting more.

Album Review: Power From Hell - Sadismo

Power From Hell

Sadismo

(Hells Headbangers)

Unholy goat blasphemy, Batman, this album rapes angels.

For new fans and old fans alike, the re-release of Sadismo promises power riffs drunk with the power of an ancient abyss. The album was out of print for a while, but Power From Hell's 2007 release has come back to haunt you with Brazilian blackened thrash metal, thanks to Hells Headbangers. Power From Hell went full speed to please your hessian ears on album number two. Sadismo is evil leather metal done right. You could pause this album, but that would be no fun. Play it straight through, 11 tracks of the crazy shit. Stripped down to the core of blackened speed metal's ethos, Power From Hell deliver no bullshit. It's time to go back and appreciate the hell out of this. 

Album Review: Nuke - Nuke

Nuke
Nuke
(Hells Headbangers)

Detroit has always been a place where the vibe is dangerous, and the rock is raw. It comes as no surprise then that Detroit’s latest contribution to thrash & roll is a serious and energetic band called Nuke. Nuke could take their name from a lot of things, like the fictional drug in the RoboCop film, or it could be a reference to the most powerful weapon on the planet. Either way they do not come up short of my expectations. A band named Nuke has to be cool, and Nuke certainly is a blast that you can’t contain.

Slated for release on July 22^nd, Nuke promise to deliver a megaton destroyer with their debut album. The band keeps their brand of thrash mania fresh with some old school Maiden inspired riffs and melodies. This is really good music reminiscent of the old days without actually trying too hard to be an old days band. It’s just a true genuine thrash group with a gritty back beat and fire in their veins. The songs inspire a lot of energy, and I can’t help but imagine that their shows are off of the wall.

Follow Nuke:
www.hellsheadbangers.com
www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers.com
www.hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/hellsheadbangers
www.twitter.com/hellshead666
www.youtube.com/user/hellsheadbangers666

Album Review: Embalmer - Emanations from The Crypt

Embalmer - Emanations from The Crypt

(Hells Headbangers)
Check it out!

Embalmer have done it again. What was sealed in the tomb for a decade has risen again to manifest itself as the extreme and diabolically delightful second full length Emanations from The Crypt. Oh, this is good.

Their first full length 13 Faces of Death was considered by many fans of the band’s early ‘90s extreme EP to be a disappointed, and even the band themselves were disappointed with the 2006 release. What Emanations from The Crypt has that 13 Faces lacks is a superb focus on song writing and nailing that essential groove that carries through each song.

Personally I thought their 2006 release was decent, but I did not feel it had the same energy that Emanations has, and that could also be because their new album is just better mixed and recorded. The sound is a lot clearer, and I don’t feel like I am listening to some old demo tape I found in a Savers bin. With the quality in sound, the mood of Embalmer really comes alive, and I think that is a very important part of Embalmer’s music. There is just something really sinister and vile in the new album that kind of felt absent in their last release, which is also absent in a lot of death metal bands.
Having said that, Emanations from The Crypt also follows a really simple formula. It’s just really straight forward brutal stuff, done properly, and genuinely.

I would totally recommend this album if you plan on killing someone, although I cannot confirm or deny that I recommend you kill anyone.