October is upon us and Asheville, North Carolina black/thrash trio All Hell ring in the horror month with Sunsetter, its fifth album. The band draws on several influences ranging from Darkthrone to The Misfits, resulting in a cacophony of d-beat and black metal riffs and screeching vocals. The black metal influence roars through on opening track, “Exiled Into Nod.” The infernal blast beats, dissonant guitars and Jacob Curwen’s demonic vocals are balanced by a grooving drum pattern interspersed throughout the track. “Dominus Sanguis, Domina Nox” continues this fusion of punk and black metal, only with more speed and bombast. “The Violent Brood” follows suit in the same vein with a sick d-beat that hammering guitar riffs. This is raw, aggressive blackened thrash served up nicely. “The Bleeding” is another take no prisoners ripper that the band aptly released as a single. The double bass drums alone could wake the dead. All Hell slows things down on the title track, which is reminiscent of King era Satyricon. The serpentine black n’ roll riffs and mid-tempo groove capture the hellish imagery of the lyrics.
The album shifts gears at this point, with slower tempo tracks. “Behold The Night” is almost standard horror punk but for the thrashing riffs that throw off the listener. “Path of Cain” is another mid-tempo number with unsettling guitar riffs and a driving beat that feels like the listener is following a dark path. Things speed up with “Shadow To Sacrifice” which sounds like Earth A.D. Era Misfits. Album closer “The Outer Night” sounds like a grandiose funeral procession in the first 30 seconds before transitioning to a disjointed tempo accentuated by double bass drums and staccato guitar riffs. The second half falls into a nice groove with clean guitars and looming bass line before concluding. It is kind of a letdown as half of the track is a build up but it does not go anywhere.
The first half of Sunsetter is a fun, devilish assault with its speed, aggression and punkish attitude. It successfully fuses punk, thrash and black metal with a nostalgic vibe to it. This is music you play at a gathering friends of horror movies and pizza. The second half is “experimental” insofar as the tracks are less heavy. The horror atmosphere is there, but it is missing that extra kick, which slightly hurts the album. Producer Chris Adams did a fine job as the album has a vintage feel with a modern edge.
Sunsetter is a fun record that pulls back a bit in the second half. All Hell could have broke loose on most of the record and slow things down on the final track. However, it is a good album that will appease fans of Midnight, Demiser, Bewitcher, and Toxic Holocaust. Break out the Fulci films, put this album on and let the horror commence.
Check out the band’s page for news and tour dates: https://www.facebook.com/allhellband/
