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Various Artists – Godreah Records: Swine Of Hades

If ever anybody tells you that Black Metal is one dimensional, then feel free to point them in the direction of the Swine Of Hades five track sampler from Godreah Records, before disembowelling them and serving them up as a sacrifice to Satan – obviously.

Kicking off with a collaboration between Evo, from seminal British Metal/Punk outfit Warfare and Algy Ward (The Saints/The Damned/Tank), which is cleverly named Evo-Algy (see what they did there?), who decide to play a cover of Status Quo's "Tune To The Music" (honestly I'm not making this stuff up) and actually make a mighty fine job of it! Once the sitar like intro has been rudely interrupted, Evo-Algy set about sticking a hefty right boot up the arse of an originally jingly jangly song, making it into and evilly snarled blast of guitars and screams that somehow remains remarkably faithful to the original in a Black Metal meets NWOBHM kind of way!

From there Taake rip through a cover of GG Allens "Die When You Die", which comes on like a Ramones meets early Motorhead demo and while barely making the two minute mark, the howls and gargles courtesy of Kvelertak vocalist Erlend Hjelvik (Mayhem's Necrobutcher also shows up on bass) make for a starkly effective contrast to the surprisingly restrained guitar attack.

Next up is Sigh who hail from Japan and offer up (or should that be down?) a demo version of "Somniphobia", which lands somewhere between Hammer House of (schlock) Horror, Rob Zombie and a bouncy, almost Faith No More like bass line. It's cheesy, spooky stuff, but in truth, it's pretty damn effective and when you add in some saxophone and glockenspiel (I've told you already – I'm not making this stuff up!) and eerie wailing, the resultant racket is totally captivating. One that definitely requites further investigation!

Any song that opens up with the line "We're talking vinegar and jissum, puke soup for dead" has to be a lovely little ditty, doesn't it? Shockingly not, as it would turn out, with the sparsely arranged clean strummed guitars and atmospheric vocals making way for frantic pounding riffage and more traditional Black Metal screams and roars. In terms of atmosphere, there's actually quite a similarity between this spewed offering from Meads Of Asphodel and the Sigh track which preceded it, however the less interesting, quirky approach here blunts the attack and while not a bad effort, is the weakest contribution to this disc.

Hammering their way towards the end if this mini-compilation with a nine minute epic come the smart, dirty riffs and searing guitar breaks of Thus Defiled, who's "And They Shall Fear The Night" uses film dialogue to offset the Gollum like vocals to great effect. Subtle it ain't, but the evil twists and turns are so cleverly constructed that this near ten minute track blurs by in barely the swish of a demons tail.

For me Sigh are the standout act on show here, although Evo-Algy and Thus Defiled run them close. However the real winners are Godreah Records and anyone who decides to investigate the evil delights this label has served up on this excellent introduction to their roster.

Who knew Black Metal could be so much fun? Well apart from Satan that is.....


Track Listing
1. Evo Algy – Tune To The Music
2. Taake – Die When You Die
3. Sigh – Somniphobia
4. Meads Of Asphodel – There's A God In My Gruel
5. Thus Defiled – And The Shall Fear The Night

Added: September 28th 2011
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Godreah Records
Hits: 2206
Language: english

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