Hell:On
The Age Of Oblivion ()
Wydane przez Metal Scrap/Total Metal Records/Masterpiece/Plastic Head/Code 7 DistributionRok wydania Kraj UkraineNapisał Wouter7
Talk about not judging a book by its cover! I was prepared to write this off as another unnecessary and probably awful folk/pagan metal album on the basis of its cover art. Yet this is energetic and quite enjoyable thrash metal. Not particularly great thrash, but the sort of lowbrow stuff you hear in every regional scene. Believe it or not, Jeff Waters (Annihilator) even guests on one track, so that is saying something. Although, I’m not entirely sure what. So, yeah, for a minute or two the artwork and lay-out had me fooled in thinking this was a Stygian Crypt release. Odin knows they released a ton of shit in their day, and the label’s continued existence perplexes me. But, yeah, Hell:On. They sound a lot like those 90s groove/thrash bands, you know the ones. Skinlab, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Pissing Razors, “Chaos AD” era Sepultura and the likes. Where those hacks wanted to be down with the bros, these Ukrainian lads are just a tiny bit heavier, and ever so lightly inspired by Swedish death metal than US groove metal alone in their riffing. The vocals are awful, and the thick accents don’t help either - but you gotta take what you can get. This rings true in most parts of life. I’m still sure I got to lie down after I hear this cos while this isn’t as awful as most stuff I’m supposed to review, it still isn’t the type thing you want to run and grab right fucken now. Fuck, no. This is the type band that will forever be the support band. They are okay, they can play a bit, but they are not gifted songwriters in the slightest. Still, “The Age Of Oblivion” is enjoyable for what it is, and for what it attempts to do. It was decently recorded and produced too, which is never a given in the underground. So, uhm, yeah. Groove/thrash from Ukraine. It is leagues better than any of Machine Head’s output in the last decade, but how much does that say exactly? I know, not a whole fucken lot. That should be enough for most of you.
www.metalscrap.org.ua
