Label: Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Date: November 27th, 2020

One thing is not quite clear to me here. Was this supposed to be a 7”? I mean, here you have a chance to present four bands on one release and they get one song each? Under fifteen minutes of playing time in total. A CD offers so much more space that has been left unused.

Leaving that fact out of consideration, this split is a very tasty piece of music for every old school maniac out there. Plus, we’re dealing with an international insight into the scene that is keeping the ancient flames burning bright! Furthermore, this is intercontinental release as well. Especially considering the label is coming from the USA.

Now, of course, already from the band names stated above you can realize what kind of music you are going to listen to. Naturally, the four bands are drowned within the oldest of the old extreme metal genres.

Whipstriker, from Rio de Janeiro, comes first with their rendition of the first wave black metal with added elements of traditional heavy metal. The closest reference I can think of is the immortal legacy of Hellhammer / Celtic Frost. I trust we are all aware of how big of an impact the Swiss’ music made on the South American scene. We have something similar with Whipstriker. However, the Brazilians use their guitars a bit differently. Hence the traditional metal input, as they use leads and solos close to what British or German legends did back in the golden years. I am curious to hear how this would sound on the longer run than just a single song. Only, for that to be achieved there must be some serious investment because these split releases seem to be their primary form of expression. Four full length albums lost amidst the myriad of shorter releases. Not unusual among the old school bands, but a pain in the ass for the fans and collectors.

The Serbian trio, Terrörhammer, go on with their mission of bringing the fully produced, but raw and nasty combination of black and thrash metal. Speaking of production, you shouldn’t think of any artificial, plastic form of keeping the sound crystal clear. It is just the fact that you have a full sound and completely audible material that compels you to bang your head. The necessary filth exudes from the song itself, as it is perfectly combining the original German thrash with untamed black metal ferocity of the first wave. Consider it a properly produced early Sodom with Venom-like taste of spit dripping from the cross.

Rotterdam based duo, Vulcan Tyrant, is a bit harder to define. Particularly with just one song involved. It would seem like they are dwelling on the borderlines of classic heavy metal and primordial thrash metal. Again we have Venom creeping up from the dark alleyway, but also there are a number of early British traditional metal bands one can associate with Vulcan Tyrant. The demo-like production might be the biggest downfall of this track. Especially regarding the vocals that surely must be better recorded. Still, the guitars development keeps the track’s head above water.

Germans from Speedwhore are somewhat similar to Vulcan Tyrant, though they are keeping their music closely tied to their native scene’s legacy. Fast thrashing reminiscent of the early days of the genre, not innovative in the least bit, but good enough for every thrasher out there. At least to kick in some nostalgia for the mid 80’s. Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and even a tiny bit of early Helloween are obvious in their creative effort. Keeping the past alive is the prime motif behind this track and it is done successfully. As much as one can judge from a single song.

Keeping the past alive could well be the motif behind this entire split release. There are four bands, from a couple of corners of the globe, looking to go on where the mighty have fallen. Most of their influences come from bands who went on different paths once they grew up. However, the ones that grew up on their early efforts still keep these flames burning. The past is definitely alive and this split CD proves it once again.