HELLSPAWN - LORDS OF ETERNITY (2001)

Props once again to my mountainbro El Gordo for this one, an obscure slab of Aussie black metal that arrived in a package also containing this Ojorojo record, a sweet semi-bootleg Demilich T-shirt, and a DVD copy of 1974's Satanic Rites of Dracula (starring Christopher Lee and Peter "Grand Moff Tarkin" Cushing). But that's a different post altogether. We're here to talk about Hellspawn today.
Despite the completely generic goat's-head album cover, the completely generic band name, the completely generic appearance of the band (what's with BM bands in which only the singer has short hair? You see that ALL the time, amirite?), and the completely generic album title (dontcha think Lords of Eternia would've been cooler?), this disc is actually quite the opposite of generic -- it is in fact full of shredding, far-above-par riffs, inhuman blastbeats, dynamic song structures, and pure, unadulterated, Christ-raping hatred. Depending on how you like your BM, you will either love this band or hate them. There is not the slightest hint of kvlt, lo-fi, tape-hissing bedroomery to be found here, just high-quality, well-recorded, well-thought-out songs aplenty, with production value out the ass and layers of synthesizers and in-between-song narrative interludes coming from every direction. Think Old Man's Child with cooler songwriting or Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk with more up-front vocals. THIS is how I like my black stuff. My apologies to anyone who disagrees, this album rules.

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Metallum / Last.FM