Hellbutcher emancipates himself with its debut album.
Founded in 2022 by Per « Hellbutcher » Gustavsson (vocals, Dead Kosmonaut, Friends of Hell, Necrocurse) following the announcement of Nifelheim‘s hiatus, the vocalist recruited Devastator (drums, Bloodbath, ex-Witchery, ex-Opeth) and Necrophiliac (guitar, Mordant, Total Inferno) to unveil a first demo. In 2023, they were joined by Eld (bass, Aeternus, Gaahls Wyrd, Kraków, Phantom Fire) and Iron Beast (guitar, Dead Kosmonaut, Unleashed, ex-Firespawn, ex-Necrophobic) before signing with Metal Blade Records for the release of Hellbutcher.
The album kicks off with The Sword of Wrath’s heady melodies, but quickly gives way to Black/Thrash’s cutting riffs, complemented by the totally possessed vocalist’s vociferations. The very essence of aggression can be found in this composition with its frantic leads, followed by the equally virulent Perdition, which offers a steady rhythm and a few more complex touches on the guitars to accentuate the combo’s rage. The furious solos borrow from Speed Metal, while Violent Destruction offers a more suffocating ambience while slashing us with bloody dissonant harmonics. The tempo slows slightly with the introduction of Hordes of the Horned God, but we soon return to the combo’s cruising speed, spreading their piercing melodies. A touch of groove lives in Death’s Rider’s catchy rhythm, a track shaped for the stage that is sure to unite fans of the frontman’s former band thanks to worked guitars, then the atmosphere becomes worrying again to let Possessed by the Devil’s Flames take us back to the roots of unhealthy, treacherous Black Metal with its savage screams, before Satan’s Power takes over with more majestic nuances and a unifying chorus to become one of the band’s next anthems. Inferno’s Rage brings this first album to a close with a lesson in visceral Thrash, complemented by over-the-top drumming that promises some great headbanging.
Hellbutcher picks up where his previous project left off, and surrounds himself with some of the best names on the scene to make Hellbutcher a piercing and effective album. For fans of biting blasphemy only!
80/100
