Label- Metal Blade
Release date- 1 April 2022
Words- Chris Fletcher
Since reforming in 2011, Satan have been on a tear. Although people tend to think of them as NWOBHM legends - even proto-thrash pioneers - with the release of sixth full length ‘Earth Infernal’, Satan have now released as many albums since their reformation as before it. Although the band have always been held in high regard, their last outing, 2018's 'Cruel Magic', was a critical success that left some people with one question - how do they follow this up?
Well fear not, as ‘Earth Infernal’ not only manages to keep Satan's hot streak going, but they may have managed to surpass the standards they have previously set for themselves. Four years and their longest gap between records since reuniting (There has been a pandemic guys, let's cut them some slack) seems to have done no harm in terms of keeping the momentum going. In fact, the time afforded by the global situation to craft these songs, juxtaposed with the rush they experienced due to recording issues, has led to an album of quality, well-written songs with an added sense of vitality mixed in.
This is traditional heavy metal, no doubt, but it is much more than that. There are experimental textures at play, evidenced most noticeably on ‘Burning Portrait’, which showcases progressive guitar leads and song structures that give the track more dimensions. Elsewhere songs like ‘Poison Elegy’ show how good the band are at tackling different styles of metal as they dabble in a more occult soundscape.
The overall subject matter here, as alluded to by the title, deals with global warming and the heating of the planet. Tracks such as ‘Earth We Bequeath’ and ‘Twelve Infernal Lords’ deal with this whilst also nicely housing the album title amongst their names. Opening one-two ‘Ascendancy’ and ‘Burning Portrait’ are linked together to tell two parts of the same story. The experiments don’t stop here, however. Guitarists Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey have mixed things up in terms of how they approach their lead parts, playing in unison at times and giving the record another vibe to add to the mix.
‘Earth Infernal’ shows a band as hungry as ever, sounding just as energised and vital as the day they first ascended from hell. So how did they follow it up? They went one better. This is up-tempo, heavy, guitar-driven metal that you’d expect to hear from Satan, but all the other touches really set it apart from your standard offering. Hail Satan.
8/10
Comments