Villainy - Villainy I

Sporting an excellent depiction of a plague mask on a bed of skulls, the cover art of Dutch black thrashers Villainy's debut album is an enticing prospect! Released through Hammerheart Records, this nine track opening opus gets underway with "Through Whispering Eyes" and sees Villainy produce blackened thrash in volatile waves of crust laden sleazy riffs and vocal work. With fast paced beats and a solid rumbling bass line, Villainy are fast out of the blocks with their murky brand of filth and depravity!

With the cold fingers of black metal at the helm, and the dirt and grime of thrash and speed metal fused into the bands sound, Villainy create a maelstrom of decay and leave destruction in their wake as their alcohol fueled trampage shows no signs of abating and mercy is a term unheard of as they roll forward in an unstoppable procession of death, carnage and mayhem!

Yet this album isn't all break neck speed and to hell with the consequences. Lengthy tracks such as "And Now She is Perfect" throw down a much more doomier sound, colossal, threatening and dark, as well as hinting at more of an old school thrash roots with a sound akin to Slayer's slower, more foreboding style on "South Of Heaven". Without doubt this is one of the tracks of the whole album!

Furthermore tracks such as "Charlatan" add a touch of haunting melody through the use of atmospheric pipe organs and acoustic strummings whilst the tracks slowly progresses on its blackened path! So then "Villainy I" is a diverse album all in all whilst shrouded in the fog of black/thrash! Endearing, catchy and thunderous, this gripping debut opus is one to get a hold of!