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░ ██ ██ Artist: Blackrat ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Hail to Hades █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-08-18 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Vulkan Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ When I discovered the Canadian trio Blackrat █
█ through Bandcamp a couple of years ago, I was █
█ delighted by their blasphemous blackened crust █
█ sound that showcased an unhealthy obsession █
█ towards binge drinking and hailing Satan. So, itÆs █
█ no wonder the debut was titled æWhiskey and █
█ BlasphemyÆ. As ridiculously fun as the debut was, █
█ it was obvious that the same formula cannot █
█ sustain multiple records and Blackrat seem to have █
█ foreseen the same. The follow up record æHail to █
█ HadesÆ, continues to helm the thrashy, fun nature █
█ of itÆs predecessor, while also paying heed to █
█ musical evolution. The album is a rollicking mix █
█ of black metal and crust punk, but this time, with █
█ a little more emphasis on the black metal side of █
█ the mix. █
█ The album kicks off with a sense of familiarity as █
█ the thrashy riffs of Madness Spell ring out in a █
█ feedback drenched intro. The crusty black thrash █
█ riffs are vicious as ever and the grimy snarls of █
█ the vocalist carry the same blasphemous tone from █
█ the debut. Amidst all the hyper fast, pedal to the █
█ metal thrashing, Blackrat shift direction towards █
█ the middle of the song into a ritualistic section █
█ with tribal beats and a eerie, dissonant lead █
█ section as the bass maintains a steady groove. The █
█ title track follows suit with the standard d-beat █
█ fueled blackened punk format, before giving way to █
█ Sepulchral Lust, the start of which with itÆs █
█ subtle synths and dark melodic riffs sounds like a █
█ second wave black metal track. Progeny of Pan █
█ continues BlackratÆs foray into blacker █
█ territories and this is a track that could have █
█ been written by early Mayhem. The urge to break █
█ things around and start a murderous mosh pit is █
█ almost irresistible when the vocalist proclaims █
█ ôGet on your knees and worship the fuckinÆ rat!ö. █
█ Despite all the experimentation on the record, █
█ Blackrat have a tendency of circling back to the █
█ good olÆ blackened crust sound. This is a good █
█ thing considering how addictive and chronic █
█ headbang inducing the traditional Blackrat sound █
█ is. Tracks like Transgressor, Hail to Hades, █
█ Hanged (From the Bell Tower) are perfect for a █
█ binge drinking session. There is a level of █
█ maturity in the song writing aspect and this does █
█ not detract from the bandÆs abilities to write a █
█ rabid tune. The experimentation only adds a █
█ dynamic quality to the album, with atmospheric █
█ elements and black metal exploration enhancing the █
█ variety of the record. █
█ It is good to see a band evolve over time and in █
█ BlackratÆs case, it is no different. The bandÆs █
█ improved song writing abilities make them stand █
█ out from the traditional blackened crust crowd and █
█ æHail to HadesÆ is a highlight in this style. The █
█ album does a good job of easing the listener into █
█ the shifts in sound and it also makes one eager to █
█ find out where the band will go next. Blackrat is █
█ a force to be reckoned with and this is a band █
█ that one should watch out for. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Madness Spell 6:13 ░
░ 2. Hail to Hades 4:13 ░
░ 3. Sepulchral Lust 5:05 ░
░ 4. Progeny of Pan 6:10 ░
░ 5. Transgressor 4:50 ░
░ 6. Hanged (from the Belltower) 3:21 ░
░ 7. Drawn by the Blood in Their Veins 6:52 ░
░ 8. Autumnal Obeisance 5:27 ░
░ 42:11 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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