Revel in Flesh is back.
Active from 2011 to 2024, the German band took a year-long hiatus, but they didn’t count on the determination of Ralf Hauber (vocals, Heads for the Dead, Rotpit), who recruited Erik Barthold (drums, Cerecloth, Rotpit, Left Hand Solution), Simon Abele (guitar, Inner Earth, When at Night), and Jonny Pettersson (guitar/bass, Heads for the Dead, Rotpit, Wombbath…), signs with War Anthem Records, and announces the release of their sixth album, Flesh for the Kult of Death.
The title track Flesh for the Kult of Death opens the album with a very promising roar, and its potential is quickly confirmed by the solid rhythm section and furious vocals that hit us hard, while still allowing that melodic Swedish touch to shine through. The mix pounds away at a brisk pace, finally giving way to Bodybag Inferno with a catchy groove that would make even a dead man’s head bob to a mid-tempo beat with effective Death’n’Roll undertones, though the harmonics still evoke a few unsettling moments to complement the solid riffs. The Graverobber then takes over with a heavy atmosphere, easily evoking a Death Metal-style horror film, and the slow tempo of the rhythm section contributes greatly to this impression, in contrast to Pool of Blood, which begins with a sample but significantly picks up the pace, letting the blast beats lead the assault while the screams continue. There’s also an intoxicating interplay of harmonics, much like on Hellhole, which skillfully weaves in haunting sounds that blend perfectly with the track’s heavy, slow pace, making it quite heady. Tombstalker gives us a brief chance to catch our breath with a military-style intro, but once the riffs kick back in, nothing can stop them from making us bang our heads, and the same goes for Death Kult Maniacs which masterfully harnesses that Swedish Old School vibe while giving some of its leads a rather intriguing sound. The band returns to an epic tone on Priest of Flesh, using heavy accents to embellish the melodies with catchy elements, then shifts into the horrific with Demon Dawn and its sonic dread, followed by a simple yet instantly catchy rhythm section. The track skillfully alternates between these two atmospheres, leading us to The Last Farewell, which kicks off at a brisk pace after the vocalist announces the song, and it’ll once again be hard not to headbang frantically because riffs are so effective, and although its outro would have been perfect to close out the album, it’s with All I Had (I Gave), a cover of the groovy and already very heavy American band Crowbar, that the musicians offer us one last dose of aggression, confirming that their sound adapts just as well to Doom/Sludge influences.
The story is far from over for Revel in Flesh, who deliver a powerful and effective comeback on Flesh for the Kult of Death! The vocalist has surrounded himself with the right people to breathe new life into his project, and our necks will certainly feel it!
90/100