Album
Type : Full Length
Date
Released : 29/10/2013
Label
: Metal Blade Records
III The Rommel
Chronicles, album track listing :
1). Swoop of the Falcon 05:20
2). Pour Le Merite 04:143). DG-7 06:26
4). To the Last Breath of Man and Beast 03:11
5). DAK 03:46
6). The Desert Fox 05:21
7). Tobruk 04:26
8). Farewell to Africa 02:52
9). The Final Front 04:46
10). Death of a Field Marshall 05:32
Bio :
HAIL OF BULLETS were formed at the end of 2006 when guitarist Stephan
Gebédi approached singer Martin van Drunen, drummer Ed Warby, bass player Theo
van Eekelen and guitarist Paul Baayens with the idea to join forces in an old
school death metal band. The band members already knew each other from their
previous and present bands like Asphyx, Gorefest, Thanatos and Houwitser. From the start it was crystal clear there was
a mutual love for true death metal bands like Autopsy, Massacre, Bolt Thrower,
early Death as well as Celtic Frost.
The Band :
Martin Van Drunen - Vocals
Paul Baayens - Guitar
Stephan Gebédi - Guitar
Theo Van Eekelen - Bass
Ed Warby - Drums
Paul Baayens - Guitar
Stephan Gebédi - Guitar
Theo Van Eekelen - Bass
Ed Warby - Drums
Review
:
Martin
Van Drunen (Asphyx, Pestilence, Bolt Thrower et al) joins forces with other
denizens of the Dutch death scene again to create this Bolt Thrower-esque
monster. The album, naturally, has a concept or running thread; that of the
Desert Fox himself Filed Marshal Erwin Rommel. There is no time for a history
lesson here (sadly), but Rommel led the German forces in the WW2 campaign in
Africa as well as distinguishing himself in France and elsewhere. For a light
hearted account I refer you to the Spike Milligan book, “Rommel, Gunner Who?”
For a more serious account just get any book about the Nazis/WW2. By all
accounts, he was ethically far ahead of other famous German leaders of the time
(not difficult, admittedly, but worth noting nonetheless). Rommel's story is told in some detail through
the album and takes in success and failure- Rommel's end was as bizarre as any
of the top ranking Nazis.
Van
Drunen's throat is shredded from the outset; Swoop of the Falcon is a
superb opener. Pour Le Merite (a military medal/honour, I think) follows
up very solidly. What is on offer here is death metal crossed with doom- the
sound is indeed that of a rolling tank firing off machine gun rounds along with
more destructive shells. Bolt Thrower loom large (an ex-member, an album wholly
about war... I am not being disingenuous!) as does Scandinavian death metal and
grind elements. The band is super solid and the production superb. The sound is
rough and raw with a real bite to it. DG-7 plods forth with doom/death
menace- a slow grinder of a track with very ominous riffs. Superb stuff.
To
The Last Breath of Man and Beast picks up the pace, but keeps the ominous
tone for the opening and thus see-saws back and forth between mournful and
ferocious. DAK is slow in the extreme to start but a killer riff opens
things up and your head WILL bang, guaranteed. The Desert Fox again
combines doom pacing with mid paced death metal traits. Van Drunen's vocals are
gloriously rasping and rough- one of the most original extreme vocalists in my
humble opinion- you know it’s him straight away. Ed Warby turns in an excellent
performance behind the kit too- not showy but precise and brutal. He also mixed
this opus, earning him extra kudos as he has done an excellent job.
Tobruk
employs
out and out thrash pacing to tear away at your ears while Farewell to Africa
tells a tale of Rommel's African exit and has an excellent solo amongst the
grinding riffs and lightning fast fills. The Final Front offers up a very old
school death metal start with the kind of pacing you don't hear very much any
more- a shame as it is at this pace that you can nod along at half time- it is
an excellent groove to hit. The tempo is pushed later in the track, but not to
blast beat excess. The record, perhaps inevitably, ends with Death of a
Field Marshal which explores Rommel's odd fall from grace (forced suicide).
The
lyrics on the record are literal- they tell the story unequivocally in an
observational way. Rest assured, the Nazis are not glorified and neither is war-
this is an objective portrayal. The spoken word passage (auf Deutsche,
naturlich) by Van Drunen closes his performance and soon afterwards the record
concludes there is more doom than death in the closing track and this
highlights one of the album's strengths: it offers both neck snapping
aggression and mournful musical excursions too. The track list is just right
with breaks offered from the intensity and aggression replacing the more
lamenting tracks and passages when needed.
If
you enjoy Asphyx. Hooded Menace, Bolt Thrower and the more aggressive end of
the doom spectrum then this album is for you. If you are an old school death
metal head then getting this album is essential.
Words by : Richard Maw
For
more information :
http://www.facebook.com/hailofbulletsofficial
http://twitter.com/HailOfBulletsDM
