When European bands like Venom, Mercyful Fate, Hellhammer, and Death SS sowed the seeds for what would become known as black metal in the earliest part of the 80s, it wasn’t long before the Americans followed suit. Slayer showed great respect for this dark art on their debut album, Show No Mercy (1983), as did NME, Exorcist (a Virgin Steele offshoot), and Satan’s Host. Although the band’s beginnings date all the way back to 1977, things didn’t really come together for Satan’s Host until the arrival of vocalist Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin in 1986. Fresh out of power metal pioneers Jag Panzer, Conklin (now branded Leviathan Thisiren) was the final piece needed to release their mission statement: 1986’s Metal from Hell.
An unholy amalgamation of raw speed, unbridled power, and blackened aggression, Metal from Hell lived up to its name, scaring the living hell out of anyone who dared pick it up. This was not the sword wielding Conklin headbangers remembered a couple years earlier, giving boosts of motivation with lyrics like, “Give ’em hell ’cause you’re harder than steel!” This was his demonic twin! It was perhaps for that reason Satan’s Host folded not long after Metal from Hell‘s release, with Conklin going on to join the much more traditionally inclined (and equally awesome) Titan Force.
But as the old saying goes, “evil never dies”. Satan’s Host would reform in the 90s, with Conklin reassuming his rightful spot in the frontman’s spot in 2009. The band has been rather prolific in this span of time, releasing 5 albums that stay true to their classic sound, while also co-opting elements of modern extreme metal. The latest album of this bunch, This Legacy Never Dies, is an hour plus collection of metal that’s one part traditional, one part extreme, and all parts evil. Conklin sounds vicious as ever on the doomy “Deadmans Walk” and classically tinged “Minuet ~ Vampyre en Amor”, alternating between operatic wails and harsh gutturals. The band is tight as well, guided by the ripping guitarwork of founding member, Patrick Evil.
On this album in particular, Evil incorporates gigantic Sabbathian doom riffs throughout, making cuts like “Malediction”, “Altars in Hell”, and “Warcry” freakishly heavy. His playing also draws heavily from the well of prime NWOBHM (specifically Iron Maiden) and second wave black metal, the latter being the case when he unleashes a fury of diabolical tremolo riffs. Structurally speaking, with the exception of the old school power metal hymn title track, all of the songs range between 5 and 9 minutes. And while they didn’t have to be this long, they give each track an extra “epic” feel, especially on the closing “Mysticum”. This 9+ minute colossus of a song sounds like it was performed by the distant black metal cousin of Number of the Beast era Maiden!
In an age where American “black metal” has been redefined by stringbean hipsters crying over indie rock riffs fed through a distortion pedal, Satan’s Host stand strong, prepared to crush the skulls of the weak and indulge in the fruits of victory with their devoted legion. Their Metal from Hell still burns blindingly bright and scalding hot, forever the undisputed “Kings of Terror”.
6 out of 10
Label: Moribund Records
Genre: Black/Power Metal
For fans of: Jag Panzer, Mercyful Fate, Hell