Controversial, aggressive, borderline self-destructive and never giving an inch Mr KK Warslut and his gang of miscreants are back to declare defiance against. well everyone and everything I guess. And with their last two albums being for me career highlights to say this has something to live up to is putting it mildly.
With a snarl the rabid machine rips out of the cage. ‘Never Surrender’ is classic speeding D666. Hooks shoot out and sink in, the whole thing driving hard into great guitar breaks and with a heavy melody that pushes the direction on Wildfire even harder. ‘Andraste’ however has a feel closer to Defiance era with an uncompromising thrash attack and a melody carried by the teeth of the riff. The theme appears pretty much the same of ‘Never Surrender’ though. Maybe the last two years got to them.
Previous single ‘Guillotine’ is that Wildfire loose n lethal thrash meets NWOBHM styling and once more full tilt speed. Its catchy as all out but lyrically this is becoming to sound a little obsessive and considering their current multi location setup I’m not entirely sure which country they are bemoaning the state of. Maybe all of them, who knows?
‘Pitch Black Night’ has for D666 a slightly curious feel. Until the almost gang style chorus that they used on Wildfire it has an almost… er… Viking metal feel? Does it work? When the gang vocals and harder drumming kick in certainly, just a bit or a surprise is all. ‘Mirror’s Edge’ sticks to the single gear of the album with an almost black-thrash take on Iron Maiden in the galloping riff and pounding bass lines. Again the intensity it huge and the sound just pulls you along.
‘Grave Raiders’ is a fair old stomp with a rising guitar pushing the chorus to great effect. ‘Savage Rights’ is the only one that drops the speed just a tad and fails to really engage me I’m afraid. Neither does a slightly dull ‘Rather Death’.
And the recent tradition of the slower, brooding closer? ‘Batavia’s Graveyard’ slides into that nicely. They are so good at this and with its swaying feel, choral sounds mixed low and the layered vocals it is superb. A snaking guitar sound slithers through and all is washed away by the waves and the wind.
It’s quality, no doubt. Maybe those two misfires for me but others will lap them up. Stylistically it is just another slight shift, but sideways into a space between Defiance and Wildfire. The constant pounding drums, the driving black-thrash rooted riffs, the more NWOBHM feel to the guitar breaks and the ever excellent vocals both lead and backing.
Probably better than anything between their debut Defiance but maybe a touch down from the last two it is still head and shoulders above most bands of their ilk, if indeed anyone else is. If you’ve stayed with them this far you will enjoy the fuck out of this, and it’s a fair hopping on spot too.
(8/10 Gizmo)
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