They’ve been going since the mid 90’s or so (their “Hell-Born” EP came out in 1996), and while that doesn’t necessarily make them one of the oldest Polish extreme metal outfits, it does perhaps show that they’ve had a career that’s lasted the test of time. Originally formed by some members of Behemoth (yes, that lot), and Damnation, the blackened thrash merchants have released a number of full length albums, albeit their last one (“Darkness”) was released in 2008.

I’ve been quite the fan of Hell-Born in the past, picking up their first three full length CDs during a trip to Poland in the mid 2000s, along with a few other curios at the time, such as albums by Yattering, Dies Irae and Panzer-X (anyone remember them?). I can recall vividly the album art for 2002’s “The Call of Megiddo”, all early CGI Satan and all! If you’ve not had the pleasure of listening to Hell-Born before, you’re not going to find this has much really in company with many of their countrymen. Polish metal really has a bit of a reputation for being technically very sound, somewhat clinical in approach, and to some extent these days being pretty big on image. Hell-Born are really a different beast.

So, what will you get when you listen to this record? Hell-Born may have a solid foundation in black metal; all angular riffing, a filthy layer of crusty bleakness over every riff, but they’re also grounded in the tradition of thrash metal and early death metal too. Take, for instance, third track in “Ye Olde Woods Devil”, a blackened thrasher with a nifty dollop of grinding be-doomed menace within. There are hints of Destroyer 666 and Asphyx mixed in with the devil-baiting vocals, not least in the warlike axe work and the rumbling pace of the track. Next track, “Uroboros”, is much more of an out and out rager, a complete battery on the drums from skin-pounder “Diabolizer”.

It’s worth pointing out that Hell-Born are a power trio, featuring the improbably monikered Baal Ravenlock on bass and vocals, the afore mentioned Diabolizer on drums, and a huge amount of work being undertaken by sole guitarist “Les”. I can only assume that “Les” didn’t get the scary name memo. That the three of them can blast out such a complete wall of noise is something else.

It’s a great album of contrasts. The songwriting has managed to create the likes of the grim, crawling doom of “Son of Earth”, alongside the self-describing flay of “Blakk Metal”. At just nine tracks, it manages to make the point without ever seeming to run out of steam. It’s also got a great production – plenty of fury that sounds tremendously clear without losing any of the grease and filth that blackened metal really needs.

Honestly, as a long time fan of the band, I think this may be the best thing that they’ve created. It’s furious, aggressive, cultured but at the same time unrelenting. Definitely one for all you admirers of bullet belts, spiked wrist bands and skin-tight black jeans.

(8/10 Chris Davison)

https://www.facebook.com/officialHellborn

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hell-born-natas-liah