2024-02-07 08:00:27
(c) Morbid Saint
Good things take time, that goes for Morbid Saint like only a few other bands. More than 30 years following they recorded their second album “Destruction System” (finally completed following the reunion in 2010 and released in 2015), the quintet from the US state of Wisconsin is venturing into new material. The ideas were mostly shared from a distance, but the new long player sounds like it was all of a piece. „Swallowed By Hell“ is dedicated to the mix of thrash and death that made the band an insider tip in the early 90s.
“Rise From The Ashes” – the title of the opener has a method and is no coincidence. Within seconds, Morbid Saint increases the tempo to astronomical heights. Brutal, rough death metal meets breakneck thrash riffing, accompanied by Pat Lind’s incredibly poisonous vocals. Of course, a similarly crazy solo shouldn’t be missed before the track picks up speed once more following a short intermezzo. The following title track brings in huge (riff) storm clouds, varies the tempo and keeps turning the clock completely. The thrash penchant comes through clearly here, without devoting itself exclusively to it. Steam hammers like this one are really fun between the chairs.
The virtuoso guitar work at the beginning of “Pine Tuxedo” introduces a technical masterpiece that feels like it has been shed several times. Suggested groove passages, gripping fretboard whizzing and thunderous, monumental drumming make it clear how far the quintet has come musically. “Bloody Floors”, on the other hand, surprises with a bass intro that one would expect to be in crossover territory. Short growls, eerie darkness and hellish frontal attacks poach in crazy death metal landscapes – another trick, something different and yet so beautiful. “Fuck Them All” can easily be understood as a mission statement, ponderous and massive, a wild muscle flexing of the destructive kind.
“Swallowed By Hell” seems like it has fallen out of time and is a purist underground death thrash mixture that has now become a rarity. Furious attacks, extremely high speed and comparatively small deviation from the course ensure maximum destruction without regard to losses. The brutal intensity of Morbid Saint is immediately captivating and at the same time cultivates astonishing cleverness in the songwriting, which only becomes clear at second and third glance. The US quintet returns furiously and once once more establishes themselves as curators of rough, timeless high-speed madness.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: February 9, 2024
Available via: High Roller Records (Soul Food Music)
Website: morbidsaint.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/morbidsaintofficial
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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#Morbid #Saint #Swallowed #Hell
