Only two months into 2020 and I’ve been spoiled with a smorgasbord of black/speed/thrash goodness. There’s been Rebirth by Blasphemy by Midnight, Unholy Nordic Noise by Reaper, and 666 Goats Carry My Chariot by Bütcher. The latest release to join this good company comes from Bütcher’s fellow Belgian countrymen, Slaughter Messiah, with their debut album, Cursed to the Pyre. Could my initial reaction to this album be based off my recent hankering for Stella Artois? Perhaps. More likely it’s because like all the other bands I listed, Slaughter Messiah have carved their own unique niche within the first wave of black metal style.
Slaughter Messiah is in the business of infernal thrashing and they do it well. There’s no quiet instrumentals in between songs. No technical wizardry. No big statement to be made. From the magnificent opening track “From the Tomb into the Void” onwards, we’re given evil riffs which sound huge thanks to the production. Cursed proves that lo-fi isn’t always the answer for this style.
Of all the comparisons that can be made, Cursed sounds closest in riffing, vocals, and spirit to Kreator. It especially reminds me of their first two albums, Endless Pain and Pleasure to Kill. Songs like “Pouring Chaos” and “Hideous Infliction” wouldn’t sound out of place on those teutonic thrash masterpieces. Most of the album sticks to this formula, but there are some surprises. “Pyre” is pure black metal. The fastest and most diabolic song on the album, I’d be shocked if Slaughter Messiah didn’t open a portal to hell while recording it.
I noted earlier the exclusion of quiet instrumentals as a buildup. I commend this. It was one thing in the 80s having Kreator open Pleasure to Kill with “Choir of the Damned” or Sepultura open Beneath the Remains with that acoustic intro. These days it’s cliche. There are some instances where it works, but 9 times out of 10 I’ll roll my eyes back into my head with disapproval. Slaughter Messiah trades these redundancies for slow, menacing riffs before going into thrash overload. They can be heard on “From the Tomb into the Void”, “Descending to Black Fire”, and “The Hammer of Ghouls”. The approach is similar to Slayer’s “Hell Awaits”. Speaking of Slayer, bonus points for the Tom Araya shrieks sprinkled throughout the album.
Cursed to the Pyre is a no frills blackened thrash attack on the eardrums and necks of headbangers worldwide. Sure the sound has been done before, but who cares? Kreator sure as hell haven’t released an album with this anger, unholiness, or testicular fortitude in decades. I’ll take what I can get.
7 out of 10
Label: High Roller Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Kreator, Slayer, Deströyer 666