ArrogantFeaturing Anaal Nathrakh drummer Steve Powell on session drums, and roping in Carl Stokes of Cancer to record and mix this, ‘Hate Legions Ride!’ sees the triumphant return of Birmingham’s two piece black metal hate squad Arrogant Destruktor. Instantly picking up from where they left off with their debut 2013 demo, this three track second demo has the band turning their hand once more to a riff heavy, embryonic Bathory styled black metal that is brimming with vim and vigour.

‘Frozen in Time’ actually flies out of the traps at a furious speed, blasting Norwegian styled riffage that has clear debts to ‘Shadowthrone’ era Satyricon. Unrelenting and rabid, the track then transcends into a number of epic verses and choruses that impact with a powerful heathen clout which Quorthon would’ve been proud of, before relapsing into the opening fury to close off the track in a perfect manner. ‘Hate Legions’ sees the band go into full Bathory mode, with a slower more methodical approach. Featuring a constantly regulated crunching old school churn and a sudden blast of eastern styled leadwork; it really allows the simplistic yet instantly effective riffage to suck you in with its toxic black metal charms. Demo closer ‘Parasitic Roots of the Earth’ again sees the speed ramped up from the off, bringing scenes of huge battles, steel on steel, chunks of rendered flesh and bloodied seas to the minds eye. The booming drums, agitated waspish guitars and sore throated hiss of vocalist A.T only serves to pound the message home with glee.

Arrogant Destruktor are earthy, packed to the gills with riffs and forged with an old school charm which is hard to falsify. The demo package features a numbered mini pizza box styled case, a patch as well as the disc, so you can’t accuse them of skimping in quality in any department. So, now we know they can definitely produce consistently good demo material; but what’s the word on a full length release from these nascent nasties?

(7.5/10 Lars Christiansen)

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