It’s been nine long years since ‘Soul Destroyers’, an album that was ok, I still think their debut ‘666 Megatons’ was bloody amazing black thrash…but in any case, the break has rejuvenated the band since their last recorded output. This is a special presentation of black thrash. Enough ‘Hail the King’ Motorhead, balanced with some wicked Darkthrone and later some Viking era Bathory, the mash up really works. The album flows with effortless dark abandonment, no bullshit, it’s simply well executed music.
‘Nocturnal Demons’ is a rapid rough ride through the roads leading to hades, a raw journey, edgy and having a few key leads breaks here and there add to the atmosphere. The vocals are harsh but decipherable, something I always prefer in this style. The chord changes maybe fast but they are on point and captured precisely in the mix. ‘All Will End in Fire’ maybe to truth of where we are going as a civilisation, but in this context, you want to stay around for the ride. There’s some epic sections in the bridge/chorus, the tempo slows a little and allows some crowd pleasing moments where you can do your hail hail hail chanting, a thoroughly inclusive moment of the track.
Urn have only gone and done it, producing a strong black thrash release that isn’t a trendy piece, just gnarly and nasty enough to tempt the old school evil fans and precise to make this simply rise above a lot of the sloppy releases contained within this field, maybe it’s not kvlt enough for some, but for me a thoroughly strong album that delivers enjoyment through each track, reaching a plateau with ‘Falling Paradise’ that has many hallmarks that many try to imitate but can’t deliver with such a passion and urgency that Urn do here. A welcomed return to form, one to watch out for when it’s released.
(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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