I’d been looking forward to this!!
Siege Of Power have just unleashed what is probably the most aptly titled debut album of the year with “Warning Blast”.
Who is Siege Of Power? Well my young Padawan….allow me to enlighten you. The band first came into being as “First Class Elite” back in 2013 and was basically Asphyx playing punk tunes. They recorded a split with Violation Wound (also with Reifert on vocals….spooky) and was then left for dead.
Resurrected last year in the form we know today we have Chris Reifert, the sickness chief from Autopsy, Abscess and Eat My Fuk on vocals. On bass we have big Theo van Eekelen (Hail Of Bullets / Grand Supreme Blood Court / Minotaur Head), smashing out the rhythms we have drum legend Bob Bagchus (ex-Asphyx / Soulburn / Grand Supreme Blood Court and currently also in the killer Infidel Reich) and rounding out the band on guitar we have Paul (I don’t age) Baayens (Asphyx / Hail Of Bullets / Thanatos). Pretty much death metal royalty right there boys & girls and that line up is enough in itself to make you sit up, take notice and hand over some cash….
Now, as the promo material states…
“No bullshit compromises of any kind whatsoever. That’s what Siege Of Power is all about!”
And for once the promo blurb is spot on! This record is eighteen tracks (plus 2 bonus songs depending on version) of raw, unhinged ferocity most of which were written on the spot and recorded in a few hours and this has no doubt added to the sense of urgency and evil intent contained within the album. It could have gone the other way mind you….. it could have been a right mess but with these veterans, who couldn’t write a shit tune if their lives depended on it, you know you’re gonna be in safe, albeit a bit sweaty, hands.
The closest comparison I can make is with Carnivore and the first Stormtroopers Of Death album, in fact the opening riff to track one, “Conquest For What”, is Pauls own take on “March of The SOD”…. Not a rip off by any means but definitely an affectionate nod to SOD. There’s a heavy punk influence on most of the tracks too, some Discharge, Ramones and even Misfits vibes . There’s a (un)healthy dose of sludgy doom monsters too with tracks like “Torture Lab”, “Trapped and Blinded” and “The Cold Room” (which at just over four minutes is the album’s longest song).
The production on the album is absolutely solid and every track packs a hefty punch. I guarantee the lads would have had an absolute blast recording this, I can just see Paul grinning like a shot fox while grinding out these hardcore punk riffs, a total contrast to the thrashing death metal we’re used to hearing from Thanatos & Asphyx. Bob’s drumming is fantastic throughout and really anchors the band down especially on tracks like “For The Pain” which blasts at such a pace the band could easily career out of control without a staunch veteran like him on the stool!.
Chris Reifert’s vocals are unmistakeable and just as sick as they were on “Mental Funeral” if not more savage.
This is a killer record, full of memorable riffs and hooks aplenty among the many sub three minute blasts and will put a big spastic grin on any fan of death metal, punk & hardcore.
Get amongst it!
(9/10 Mark Eve)
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