There are some albums that you know are going to be sick just by looking at the cover. Take for example Night Roar’s debut album, No Compromise, No Apologies. We’ve got long haired maniacs motorcycling their way through a cemetery at night, bolts of lightning flashing through the sky, while a muscular, leather-clad arm breaks its way off a chain. In what world could this album NOT rule? Well, I guess in the same world where Molly Hatchet’s eponymous debut LOOKS like it should sound like Priest, but instead offers up a healthy helping of good ol’ fashioned boogified southern rawk. I digress.
Lucky for us, Night Roar’s initial metallic strike is not a bait and switch affair in the slightest; one gets exactly what they’d expect from this 9 song outing. The band themselves, a power trio of Russian-Ukrainians who have since found themselves in the midst of war-torn Israel, stormed onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere earlier this year with the release of their debut EP, Satanic Ritual. No Compromise, No Apologies expands upon this framework, offering headbangers a nonstop outburst of unadulterated speed, punkish attitude, and just the right amount of first wave black metal darkness.
When drawing comparisons to the first wave black metal overlords of yesteryear, the first band who comes to mind when listening to this album is Sentence of Death era Destruction. The songs are fast, raw, and evil, with riffs that evoke the hellfire and brimstone of ’84 and demonic Schmier-esque vocal rasps that exaggerate the intensity of the songs themselves. Cuts like “Eradicate!”, “Satanic Ritual”, and “Predator” waste no time whatsoever, vaporizing weaklings and posers at the rapid fire pace of 666 MPH. No doubt about it, these neck-snappers would be right at home on an old school mixtape that boasted the likes of Destruction’s “Total Desaster”, Slayer’s “Show No Mercy”, and Exodus’ “Strike of the Beast”.
When they aren’t speeding and thrashing in the name of Beelzebub, Night Roar take a swig of the ol’ Lemmy elixir (Jack n’ coke) and wallop us with some no frills, punked up black ‘n’ roll. Take for example the piss and vinegar of the aptly titled title track. We’ve got d-beats (or something resembling them, at least), nasty guitar riffs, and a rumbling bassline. No doubt about it, this band owes as much to Motörhead, Midnight, and the UK82 scene as they do the aforementioned thrashers above. “Biker Rats (From Titan)” is another metalpunk melee with the perfect amount of reckless abandon, while “Die for the Devil” fuses the band’s punk and speed side into one blistering outburst.
A pummeling rendition of Venom’s “Die Hard” brings the album to a close in wickedly classic fashion. Seriously, can you ever go wrong with a Venom cover? I think not. Like leather-clad satyrs bursting from the abyss, Night Roar emerge as a force to be reckoned with, bringing chaos and evil wherever they tread. Considering this is the type of confidence and power they boast on full length numero uno, one can only imagine what the future has in store for this terror-inducing trio. Hop on your chopper and tear through your local cemetery; you’ve been beckoned by Night Roar!
8 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Black/Speed Metal
For fans of: Destruction, Midnight, Bütcher
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