However varied or morose and dark metal can be, one thing that unites all forms of metal is a fan’s need to have a good time through their favourite audible artform. There are plenty of bands in the world today who pride themselves on making a statement or putting emphasis on the lifestyles promoted in their music, but there always have and always will be the bands who sole purpose is to have a damn good time.

By that I am referring to Belgian outfit, Butcher, whose take on the speed metal genre with lashings of black metal have conjured a series of fun, fast and party driven anthems. That’s not to say this isn’t a serious band, their output covers themes of death, violence and the occult, but Butcher’s third album “On Fowl of Tyrant Wing” is a festive soundtrack that makes you feel like you’re out with your friends getting wasted with the darkest of party music for company.

If I were to sum this record up in one word it would be, enjoyable. As one who loves speed and thrash metal this was an album that put a smile on my face from start to finish, and to hear the black metal themes and musicianship thrown in, that made Butcher a great new discovery for me. As well as having many of the best black and speed metal clichés that I always go for, the catchiness stuck in my head like a viral internet advert that always pops up on YouTube and the like.

In short, Butcher are a band whom you can count on to deliver both a fun album and the kind of gig where there’d be a mosh pit almost from start to finish. Metal isn’t all about partying, but it needs its share of party bands to remind the world just how enjoyable it is and why metal culture exists across all borders. Butcher are the kind of band needed to remind us of why metal is enjoyed, and their latest release does so in a short and sweet delivery of memorable tunes.

(8/10 Demitri Levantis)

https://www.facebook.com/Butcherspeedmetal

https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/on-fowl-of-tyrant-wing