Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/05/2020
Label: Reaper Entertainment
The Review:
Voodoo Gods are back, some
six years after their debut full length, with this ripping follow up. As noted
in my 2014 review, the band is a death metal supergroup- of sorts. George “Corpsegrinder”
Fisher is still here, but Dave Shankle is gone. This record, though, is even
better than the debut. Victor Smolski and Jacek Hiro now make up the dual
guitar team, Alex Voodoo still masterminds the band and we also have Seth Van
de Loo on vocals and Jean Baudin on very technically minded bass guitar.
This
is more deathly than its predecessor but it retains some thrash elements along
with some NWOBHM flourishes here and there. The production and playing is
absolutely superb- it's crystal clear- from Corpsegrinder's enunciation to the
precise percussive battering of Alex and Jean. From the opening “Isa”
and through the excellent “Rise of The Antichrist” and beyond, the
record rips.
It
is an interesting mix of the aformentioned styles; Kreator-like thrash mixed with more
technically minded death metal makes for a good pairing. It's not all
hyper-speed either; there's good tempo variety in “Menace to God”. The Necrophobic cover (“Before
The Dawn”- not the Judas
Priest ballad, sadly) is a nice mid album touch- with very different
mix and sound- but it is the originals which really impress. The album's
variety shines through on “From Necromancy To Paraphilia”- everything
from sitar to shred sounds-and the jazzy stylings of the intro to “Serenade
of Hate” which then segues into vitriolic vocals is pretty unexpected too.
The
latter part of the album is no less inspired, with the quasi-title track
bringing some melodic thrash while “The Ritual of Thorn” is a more
deathly affair. Oddly, the album sees itself out with a longer version of the
same track (perhaps a demo version by the sounds of it) and the bonus of the
superbly titled “The Absolute Necessity To Kill”- which is great with its
gravity defying leads and forceful riffage.
Again,
there is much to enjoy on this record; everything is pretty great and much of
it is quite unexpected- much like the debut. I'd recommend it to fans of the
individuals involved and all fans of death/thrash hybrids. It's creative and
different and all the stronger for its originality.
“The
Divinity of Blood”
is available HERE
Band
info: facebook
