Liste des groupes Black Death Hellscourge Hell's Wrath Battalion

Brazil has been a fertile land for extreme metal throughout the short history of heavy metal music, with bands such as Sepultura and Sarcófago becoming the defining face of not only Brazilian metal, but have also influenced the future of extreme metal as well. Hellscourge hails from the same lands as the aforementioned, with Hell's Wrath Battalion being their debut release.

Staying true to the roots, the album begins without wasting much time with the title track, Hell's Wrath Battalion. The primitive sounding production quality of the music hits the listener instantly, bringing him back to the 80s when bands such as Sodom and the aforementioned Sarcófago reigned. Drummer/vocalist Hellcommander spits out the lyrics with much hate, with the vocal styling leaning more towards a black/thrash metal rather than a pure black metal style, like a higher-pitched version of Venom's Cronos. The drums throughout the album, while nothing fanciful from the technical viewpoint, has its merits in the raw energy unleashed by Hellcommander, relentlessly pounding on the skins at rapid fire speed.

Don't be fooled by the raw and dirty production quality into thinking that Hellscourge is just another of those old-school black/thrash metal wannabes. Looking beneath all the dirt one immediately is able to hear the excellent guitar riffs brilliantly executed by guitarist/bassist Mayhemic Omen (indeed, since the mayhem provided by the guitar and bass lines certainly brings out an ominous feel in the music).

While the focus on the album seems to be on the riffs and the speed of the music, on the guitar solos, Mayhemic Omen makes sure that his presence is felt, such as those on Sentence of Destruction, proving that he can shred a la Kerry King-style, but is merely choosing to back. The self-titled track, Hellscourge, in particular, reminds the listener instantly of Slayer, displaying yet another one of the many influences and amount of thought that Hellscourge has put into their music.

While nothing on Hell's Wrath Battalion is particularly original or unique, what Hellscourge has presented to listener on this album is an excellent sample of old school Brazilian extreme metal. Certainly recommended for those who are keen on exploring new Brazilian bands playing music in the veins of the old school.