I’ve been waiting a long time for this. Four, five years since I first experience their battering ram sound live at Warhorns. Others have been waiting longer, since 1998 in fact. But this is finally it after all that has passed, the years of silence and resurrection: The debut studio album from Heathen Deity, and on the label arm of Cult Never Dies, no less. Hopefully the perfect home with its integrity, reputation and distribution skills.

It means there is for me a lot of trepidation wrapped up with the anticipation. Will it descend into a sanitised, uniform death/black hammering (it’s a weird phobia of mine)? Will the songs be there? Will it hold its own in the vibrant UKBM scene?

Sod it. Play.

And ‘The Gate Opens’ with a rumble of iron doors, chains, flames and the screaming of damned souls. Whips lash, hellish horns or organs moan, drums slowly beat and voices intone. The we ‘Burn In Satan’s Name’. It’s a steady opening guitar, a mid-paced riff, restrained too but with a good sound production. Then the grim melody rides over the top and they floor the beast. Screamed, howled vocals, a full force drum battery and a great riff. It’s a distinct sound. Violent, heavy but this is like being pummelled by fists and feet, not ripped by feral beasts. Its… More malignant. Directed. But not restrained. Dagon’s vocals stride through this with true authority; screams to howls to moments of deep clean singing, their register moving with the atmosphere. The guitar melody is grim and grey, English September darkness and violent intent and the bass and rhythm guitar full bodied and adding a real density to the sound.

I feel more settled now. That is an excellent start.

‘Condemned To Conception’ is a speedy affair, but again not thrashy, just driven. The central riff is cantering bull of a thing, that unnerving melody to it perfect. You can kind of feel the roots tangling down back to Mayhem here but having branched out to something else as all good influences do.

The title of the album and next track, ‘True English Black Metal’ may make some go “the balls on these guys, eh?”. But it is an absolute storm; take Emperor circa ‘Anthems…’ and whip it up with Mayhem and a belligerent attitude that is pure Heathen Deity “…since 1998….” . It has contempt curling its lips, defiance and a full-on metal bar across the teeth riff. Turbulent, edgy, glorious. Bloody fantastic in fact. This does exactly what it claims. True. English. Black. Fucking. Metal.

‘The Flames Of The Gathering Darkness’ delves into a doomy, almost Candlemass sound before moving into a hook riddled, surging mid-pacer. ‘The Black Goat Infernal’ has a lovely, rich dark melody to it. ‘For The Nameless One’ shows the way Heathen Deity can control the atmosphere even in slower paced moments and this near ten minute epic has a real feeling of pride, a real sense worship and awe in the melody. Stunning song. ‘Beneath The Fires Of Albion’ is a real stop and stare moment, a quiet acoustic number. Clean vocals, flute sounds, reflection. And live favourite ‘Gut The Church’ finally gets its full, malevolent, gleeful violent turn in the studio.

‘For The Glory Of Satan’ is just plain snarling nastiness and the excellent ‘Lord Of The Knell’ ploughs an angry furrow again with some superb drumming driving the power through the riff and into the last part of the album.

‘The Shards Of Winter’ closes their debut. A cold song, a great build up with quiet guitar and some great vocals conjuring a real winter storm which suddenly erupts. It is a twisting closer, paces changes and quieter moments showing a great grasp of dynamics particularly in the way they rise up into the harder riffing with the melody, the melancholy intact.

It has been a long journey to get here, without a doubt but with the various members almost constant involvement in one other project not only have they remained musically sharp but relevant too. This album, with its confident title really put the pressure on themselves to deliver, to live up to it, and they bloody well have. The songs are top draw, memorable and varied whilst never betraying their muscular sound and it is all wrapped up with powerful performances all round and a fine production. Not to mention that cover.

Really, if you are fan of UKBM it’s essential. Does exactly what it says in the tin, and more. Imposing, righteously commanding, atmospheric and truly memorable.

Well done guys. Well done indeed

(9/10 Gizmo)

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Preorder [Late May 2021] HEATHEN DEITY: True English Black Metal CD (released by Cult Never Dies)