Satan's Host - By The Hands Of The Devil
Of all the artists signed to Moribund Cult Records- known best for its acceptance of underground black and death metal- Satan's Host is probably one of the more prolific and well known ones. For once, they aren't black and death metal, so their sound tends to be unique when it stacks up against all the other things Moribund usually release which each have their differences, but can tend to have a rooted sound that is all similar. Despite Satan's Host turning for more of a black and death metal sound during the 90s, lately it seems they've been sliding back into their original heavy metal style they developed in the late 80s, and 'By The Hand Of The Devil' merges black metal blasphemous titles and lyrics with the rumbling and catchy hymns of heavy metal within the music. Tracks like "Shades Of The Unlight" and "Fallen Angel" sound almost along the lines of melodic metal or power metal much in the way of a band like Iced Earth. Despite their dark qualities, the music can be very upbeat and energetic at times in a positive way- especially when it comes to the vocals- which is basically the antithesis of how one would expect from black metal. So, for those who are hearing Satan's Host for the first time, it may take some getting used to the fact that these guys are on a more general black n' death metal label.
However, Satan's Host do feature a few 'black metal' parts within their music. Despite the switch throughout the years, one can still hear traces of snarls and growls within a track like "Inferior Worlds." It's not a strong presence, and often more in the background than the forefront of the music, but these little bits only add on to Satan's Host intrigue because without them some might consider them 'just another heavy metal band.' By merging both styles together, Satan's Host offer a unique blend of dark heavy metal that lives up to their history of being a pretty decent group ever since they made it in the 80s. The best track though would have to be "Bleeding Hearts Of The Damned..." as it is slow, foreboding, and different from everything else on the album, which helps make it stand out. The overall tone sounds like Pantera's cover of "Planet Caravan"- dark, haunting, and atmospheric- with how the vocals go for more of a mournful chant compared to the usual singing. It's not a ballad, but more of a gothic heavy metal eulogy. The guitars and drums are extra repetitive and quiet, but that helps adds heaps to the atmosphere. In fact, one could consider this kind of music more terrifying than any of the more blasphemous black metal artists that are on Moribund's label right now.
However, Satan's Host do feature a few 'black metal' parts within their music. Despite the switch throughout the years, one can still hear traces of snarls and growls within a track like "Inferior Worlds." It's not a strong presence, and often more in the background than the forefront of the music, but these little bits only add on to Satan's Host intrigue because without them some might consider them 'just another heavy metal band.' By merging both styles together, Satan's Host offer a unique blend of dark heavy metal that lives up to their history of being a pretty decent group ever since they made it in the 80s. The best track though would have to be "Bleeding Hearts Of The Damned..." as it is slow, foreboding, and different from everything else on the album, which helps make it stand out. The overall tone sounds like Pantera's cover of "Planet Caravan"- dark, haunting, and atmospheric- with how the vocals go for more of a mournful chant compared to the usual singing. It's not a ballad, but more of a gothic heavy metal eulogy. The guitars and drums are extra repetitive and quiet, but that helps adds heaps to the atmosphere. In fact, one could consider this kind of music more terrifying than any of the more blasphemous black metal artists that are on Moribund's label right now.
- By The Hands Of The Devil
- Shades Of The Unlight
- Demontia
- Before The Flame
- Bleeding Hearts Of The Damned
- Black Hilted Knife
- Revival
- Fallen Angel
- Inferior Worlds
- Norwegian Wood (cover Beatles)
Label: http://www.moribundcult.com
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Jun 26, 2011
Jun 26, 2011
Next review:
Nattsmyg - Fylgja
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