From literally the opening notes of ‘Punish Oppressors’ this reeks of the NWOBHM, which I guess makes sense as that’s where their origins are although it seems to have taken them from 1983 until now to move beyond the demo stage. It’s a bouncy, up tempo opening with a guitar line that reminds me a lot of Girlshool’s Yeah, Right. The vocals come in somewhere like Legend, circa Death In The Nursery, Pagan Altar and The Gates Of Slumber, the latter highlighted when Robespierre drop down a gear or two into doom territory.

The production is a little barren, maybe, but on the other hand it does kind of work. Not only does it reconnect to the 80s but it also highlights the song writing which, throughout, is pretty darned good. On songs like ‘The Black Mirror’, a slow bit of doomy metal, there’s just the slightest suggestion of a little prog tinge in the construction but the production keeps it honest. Definitely there is a real old fashioned feel here, which I think might make this musical marmite. The lyrics, the production, the construction: All look back to that decade which I think may make this a difficult prospect for some but really there’s no reason. Fans of Pagan Altar particularly but also The Gates Of Slumber and that kind of bare bones style of the ‘live’ feel to the recording will find an awful lot of pleasure here I think. What you get is ten well played and very individual songs, that despite having obvious influences waste no time in establishing their own identity. Not overly heavy, yet still possessing some nice metal riffing and as capable of a gentle canter or an iron clad plod.

Nope nothing wrong here at all. It’s a pretty cool album, refreshing, entertaining and honest. Vive la revolution eh?

(7.5/10 Gizmo)

https://facebook.com/Robespierre-176141719105571

https://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/garden-of-hell