Exclusive EP Premiere: Helslave‘s Burning Rebirth
Italy’s Helslave has been kicking since 2009, bashing out melody-tinged death metal that doesn’t sacrifice it’s bite or aggression. On Burning Rebirth, the act continues to wield their sonic assault like a red-hot poker, bringing an-almost-thrashy Slayer-esque energy to the eight minutes of material on display. Comparing it to their previous full-length, From the Sulfur Depths, Burning Rebirth finds the band reborn (heheh) with a much sharper production job that sells the OSDM-informed aggression that lies within the two song promo.
More change lies in wait for the newest incarnation of Helslave, as the band is joined by a new vocalist, whose vocals pour from his gullet with an impassioned flame, wrought with impassioned vitriol. The rest of the band sounds focused and honed in, with a new fire lit in themselves. The two tracks on display here sell that passion and fury with gusto. This mini-release sets the stage well for future works, which this is no doubt preparing the public for.
Even still, some things remain the same for Helslave. Whereas I did say this brand of death metal is heavily informed by melody, calling it melo-death outright probably would give the wrong impression. Their brand of melodic death metal carries much of the bite as a band like Intestine Baalism or Gates of Ishtar, melo-death bands who work strong melodies into their riffs without sacrificing intensity (although Helslave doesn’t have the black metal influences of the latter). Helslave brings a lot of gusto and power to this sound, resulting in a duo of tracks that bring impressive balance between melody and strength. Just check the lead in before the heavy metal influenced solo at the back half of “Not Your War,” that transition from death metal wrath to a gratifying guitar passage is seamless in a way that takes years of practice to nail. The title track, too, shows this integration off with ease, blending a catchy melody into the slower pounding segment.
But that’s enough from my ass, let’s hear what the band had to say:
“Our new promo “Burning Rebirth” offers an insight on the changes that the band has undergone during the last few years, especially since the entry of Enrico H. Di Lorenzo as a new singer. This renewed, yet recognisable, style will be fully fleshed-out in our next album.”
Wow, I was right in terms of this being a teaser of what’s to come. Well, color me impressed and excited for even more to come. You can hear an exclusive early stream right here on the Toilet! Lucky you:
Burning Rebirth comes out this Friday on their Bandcamp.
