A Hill To Die Upon – Holy Despair album review

Merging Death and Black Metal together, A HILL TO DIE UPON take after so many doing the exact same thing, what’s different? “Holy Despair” is an absolute bone crushing, dark and furious album from start to finish.

This time round, A HILL TO DIE UPON seems to follow to footsteps of other Black Metal bands in a more melodic approach such as BEHEMOTH and WATAIN. This can easily be noted throughout the album but more so in tracks such as “Let The Ravens Have My Eyes” and “Satan Speaks” – this is always a touch and go situation for the more dedicated Black Metal fans who despise anything to do with good production and hearing any form of melodic composition throughout the release however A HILL TO DIE UPON have done this magnificently and infused two wonderful genres together to create their masterpiece.

“O Death” is definitely a more risky track, bringing in soft, clean female vocals to accompany the harsh darkness within. It brings out a more haunting, chilling side to the album – in fact, it’s beautifully unsettling.

“Somme” also is a definite beauty on the album too, A HILL TO DIE UPON has really demonstrated that for an album to be chilling, dark and yet utterly thrilling, you don’t need to have constant distorted guitars, blast beats and screams. They have stripped down fully and offered a track that is beautifully presented, that stands out and sends shivers down your spine. “Somme” is no longer about banging your head, throwing up the horns and trying to be as Metal as the actual artist, it’s about appreciating musical talent and almost allowing fans to open their minds to the creativity and diversity within the darker genres of Metal.

A HILL TO DIE UPON have kept sheer brutality, they have rode through the gates of hell and come back out with a release that seems worth selling your soul to the Devil for.

Each track on “Holy Despair” flows magnificently into the next one, keeping a continuous power throughout the entirety. “Holy Despair” has that power that makes you physically not care about anything in your life but the music you’re listening too, that’s the way it has been and the way it should have remained when it comes to the music industry.

A HILL TO DIE UPON have released a genuine beauty, inside and out, it’s simplistic yet technically superb.

Rating 9/10

Behemoth – The Satanist Album Review.

          
Behemoth are a band that have fought for their place in the world of metal through thick and thin. Being the first album that has been released by the band since Adam ‘Nergal’ Darskis’ (vocals) victory over his battle with Leukaemia it is clear to see that immediately  it did not dampen or knock the band back, instead, you can tell the bands strength from this has triumphed just in the music itself.

The Satanist is a continuous strong album that delivers absolute fury at its’ finest, however, being possibly the nearest album to ‘emotional’ that Behemoth have ever released. It is clear that in the lyrical content that Nergal is putting his experiences with his Leukaemia and of course the trouble he had for his well-known stunt of tearing up a bible at one of Behemoths’ live shows forward and offering the listener the insight to what was going on through this dark period of time, undeniably making this album just as dark, powerful, strong and fearless.

There are certain aspects in the album in which you can instantly say that it’s a Behemoth record but there are also times in which you listen to it and hear slight changes to the sound they are so noticed for. There are no issues with such changes; it shows Behemoth is only getting stronger with each record. Although all the tracks on this album are dark, there are certain ones such as Furor Divinus, Amen, The Satanist and O Father O Satan O Sun that really capture the depth and darkest areas on the bands strengths that really make this album an impeccable listen. The Satanist could not have been made to be any greater than it is and has definitely not been a disappointment in the wait of 4 and a half years since their previous release of Evangelion. A divine piece of musical art, even Satan himself will be pleased with this. 
Rating – 9/10