All Hell: The Witch’s Grail

One of the things I like about this band is their explicit interest in the Decadent Movement. You can see some of that influence in the song titles. The first track, “Là Bas (Rêve Noir),� refers to a nineteenth century French novel�"sometimes translated as The Damned�"that takes readers into the heart of some pretty dark practices. Another track, “Fleurs du Mal,� also takes us back to nineteenth century French literature; this time, however, they are drawing on poetry rather than fiction. It’s nice to see a band acknowledging the Decadents because they played such a big role in pushing against audience expectations by introducing ever darker, more macabre, themes into literature and art. I’m not sure if any other tracks point directly to the Decadent Movement, but you can definitively hear its influence in the lyrics. This album is full of secret rituals and supernatural mystery.

All Hell also really loves horror stories which makes much of their music come off as an extreme, but affectionate, response to that. One of the best things about this band is that they are so straightforward. The music isn’t gimmicky or campy, just straightforward extreme metal played well. If you’ve never heard All Hell before, they basically bring together elements of punk, black, thrash, and death. This album is darker than the band’s previous work, but there are definitely moments when things gallop along with the kind of power and playfulness you hear in classic Iron Maiden. If you like that style, you’ll love All Hell, especially since they are also doing their own thing�"and doing it well.

If you’ve never heard All Hell before, listen to “Where the Devils Once Danced,� “Sorcery and Sanctity,� and “Marble Embrace.� If you like those, work your way through “The Witch’s Grail� and “The Invisible World� as well. Make sure you also check out the album art�"easily one of the band’s best covers so far.

Track Listing:
1. Là Bas (Rêve Noir)
2. Sorcery and Sanctity
3. Tonight We Ride
4. Black Blood
5. Into the Trees
6. Where Devils Once Danced
7. Fleurs du Mal
8. Marble Embrace
9. The Witch’s Grail
10. The Invisible World

Added: August 31st 2019
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 619
Language: english

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