DEATHHAMMER: "Onward to the Pits"

To hell with thrash metal, I tend to think, but every now and then I have to take those words back when some group unleashes a mammoth of ass kicking thrash with hues of black metal. It doesn't happen often, but Deathhammer's Onward to the Pits is one of these cases that simply stun you with fiery riffing and sharp production.

In essence, there's nothing fancy about Onward to the Pits: this is infuenced by the likes of Sodom, basically meaning old school blackened thrash. ”Deathrashing Sacrifice” kicks in the album with riffs of insane velocity with competent blasting behind, well continued in the follow-up ”Voodoo Rites”. The third piece, ”Fullmoon Sorcery”, could have appeared on the Bathory debut, while ”Emperor of Sin” crawls in funereal mid-tempo pacing in its beginning, a theme further explored in various other parts of the album as well. There's no need to delve any further into individual moments: by now you know what you're in. One element that does deserve a mention is the vocalist who spews some unhinged semi-clean wails every now and then when he's no performing the more traditional rasps. This is one of the features that makes the album distinguish itself from the masses of similar acts.

Onward to the Pits isn't something I'd listen to in every occasion, but for the times when your metal doesn't necessarily have to dwell in deeply philosophical substance, and there might be even some alcoholic beverages in proximity, this record could be a perfect soundtrack for that moment. Onward to the pits indeed, and to hell we're certainly going with this infernal blasphemy.

3.5 / 5