Just over two years ago I reviewed this band’s debut for Ave Noctum and was positive about its style that reverted back to a raw unfettered approach even if the songs themselves weren’t that unique overall. The band is composed of three members of Thou Art Lord with one also from Necromantia, namely The Magus.
As expected the bands retro approach begins with “A Prayer”, an intro that leads straight into “Blood Moon Rising” and the stripped raw sound that blackened thrash requires. It appears that the band has stuck to writing in a similar style to the debut which is fine as it gives continuity as yet again the lead work stands out on the album as it did on the debut. “Sons Of The Desert” offers a semblance of progression beginning with a semi acoustic piece before unfurling a melodic riff and mid-tempo beat that dominates the track for a little while before implanting a punk driven riff break and increase in tempo that works well. The title track returns the album to black thrash realms with a scything riff style that a lot of newer black thrash acts use that makes the songs more virulent and scathing and is a little like Aura Noir.
The speed metal incursion of “In The Shadows Of Sodom” is excellent, played at breakneck speed and has a similarity to Sodom’s “Sodomy And Lust” tune but without any duplication of course. Slowing things down “The Black Ram” has a solid riff but the pace is lethargic and a little like Venom with the vocal emanations being suitably hellish and narrative. My preference for the speedier style reappears on “Den Of The Serpent” and has that 80s Euro thrash style, being stripped to the bone in sound, the riffs slice like razors. Closing the album is “The Marble Witch” which is a decent track but a little slow and takes the impetus out of the preceding tunes making it a little laboured and similar to early Bathory but not as punk fuelled or dirty. Like the debut the album a cover is added at the end but unlike the debut which was an Exodus cover the different formats of the album will have different cover tunes according to whether you buy the jewel case CD, digipak or vinyl. There are six covers and all are done well in the spirit of the originals with “Black Magic” (Slayer) and Dawn Of Megiddo” (Celtic Frost) appearing on the digipak, and though the latter might be different for a cover it didn’t work for me. “Blasphemer (Sodom) and In League With Satan” (Venom) are tagged onto the normal CD with the former being good but the latter is clumsy and lacks the power. “Evil Invaders” (Razor) and “Sacrifice” (Bathory) will appear on the vinyl and both are fine versions as the former even has the lead break done well and the Bathory is as grisly as it should be.
Continuing with how the band started on the debut this is as good as that but no more and for the third there needs to be something breath-taking for it to get a better score.
(7.5/10 Martin Harris)
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