Satan's Host formed way back in 1977 and this is the first chance I've had to check them out – well, can't know them all…! Black/Death with an infusion of Thrash and pure Heavy Metal is what the band has to offer with this oddly named album (well, the tildes are odd. ;)) Death Metal is musically predominant here, with the guitars and drums borrowing a little from various schools of USDM. This is all blackened by a very dark, aggressive and cold atmosphere that can practically be felt from the first to the last note, with the vocals providing a lot to "evilize" this sucker to the extreme, the vocalist literally spitting out his hatred through a very good mix of DM growls, BM rasps, and occasionally a more Thrash-style approach to the vocals.
You can literally feel the power just crashing through yours speakers and reaching for your throat while listening to this album. The sound is loud and powerful – some drum parts can practically knock you out – and this is also pretty busy, assaulting your ears with a barrage of pure Satanic metal – enjoy or perish! Through this ongoing onslaught, the band has managed to mix in some good melodic parts that add a hint of catchiness to most songs. They do slow down on occasion, easing up on the ass-kicking but still maintaining that blackened atmosphere. The occasional passages through Thrash and Heavy Metal come a bit unexpected, but seamlessly fit with everything else – very nicely done.
Overall, a damn good album (in case that wasn't obvious already) from old timers who could teach the kids a few tricks. Here's a mp3 promo that will definitely be in one of my next CD orders.
-Michel Renaud
Rating: 4.5/5
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