This is Teutonic Thrash from Poland with a heavy slice of Kreator, Sodom and early Slayer influence. The imagery may have them pigeonholed into a more blackened sub-genre, however, musically they are much more proficient, being seasoned musicians from many other projects.

‘Religious Scum’ takes you to school with its Teutonic abrasive journey, there are riffs a-plenty and enough energy to power the country through the winter. ‘War Obsession’ trades between technicality and breakneck bestial assaults of speed. The vocals really do remind me of Kreator here. ‘Reigning in Hell’ is a very strong track, holding the gnarly palm muted thrash juggernaut with crisp and effortless transitions into double timed fretboard runs. The music is clearly captured, I do like the rawness which also exists and the sounds of strings and finger slide up and down the guitars fretboard, especially noticeable during ‘Angels Disgrace’. ‘God in Flames’ has a modern brutal production that captures a vintage rawness as I may have eluded too earlier, the same position is repeated for ‘Time to Suicide’. My basic message is consistency throughout.

With the bands experience behind them, they are not afraid to expand their arsenal. This comes during ‘The Vampiric Oath’ and I would comfortably draw current Kreator comparisons. This is a fabulous track I have to say. The energy is captured majestically, an evil power exists with the raw energy matched with the brutal modern more boosted production techniques that helps convey in intricate technicalities on offer musically. You feel excitement, you feel exhausted at the end of the album also.

Overall, this relatively new Polish band have nailed (“to the cross…”  couldn’t help it!) Their sound and have a really invigorating release that surpasses for me, some of the known names this year in terms of album releases. It gets an essential purchase thumbs up from me.

(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)

https://www.facebook.com/hfband666

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/diabolic-slaughter