In an era where reunions have become the norm and new material emerging after decades long silence is commonplace, Hell is in a rather unusual position. In a way similar to Zak Stevens' Machines of Grace project, Hell is one of those bands that formed in the early 80s but ultimately never saw a full-length release due to record company shenanigans and other various factors. Unfortunately, these factors led to the suicide of guitarist/vocalist Dave Halliday in 1987.
Enter former Sabbat guitarist Andy Sneap, one of the most in demand producers in modern metal as well as one of this band's most vocal fans since their heyday. Now taking up the guitar again and playing the role of ascended fanboy alongside his longtime heroes, the resulting reunion/debut album pulled together from once obscure demos is an achievement with a story that makes his recent collaboration with Accept seem like mere child's play in comparison!
They Shouldn’t Be Such Narrow-Minded Fools!
While many listeners are often quick to associate Hell with the NWOBHM movement due to the time and location they were first active, they have an incredibly unique style that is hard to associate with just one sub-genre.
The fast tempos found on tracks such as "Plague and Fyre" often show traces of thrash and power metal while the overall theatrical atmosphere probably would've been a major influence on the second wave of black metal if the band had gotten just a little bigger back in the day. The work of Mercyful Fate serves as a good frame of reference for what this album is similar to though it also becomes rather obvious where the previously mentioned Sabbat and Skyclad got a good portion of their influence from...
And as someone who was only familiar with this group on a casual basis and had never listened to the original demos, it is incredibly surprising to see just how well the music and songwriting on here has held up over time. Granted the production and some of the modern recording techniques may have something to do with that, but the strength of these songs themselves shows that this band may have been just a little ahead of their time...
But the album's most surprising attribute is new vocalist David "Beckford" Bower, the brother of guitarist/keyboard Kev Bower who has been tasked with replacing Halliday. Perhaps due to his background as an actor, Bower puts on a distinctly convincing performance and is easily the most awesomely cheesy singer that has ever graced since the metal scene since King Diamond.
The other members do put on great performances with the guitars and keyboards standing out on occasion, but it is hard to pay attention to the whole package when this guy is doing such a commendable job chewing the scenery!
As 1665 Becomes SIX SIX SIX
The songwriting itself is also worth noting as most of the tracks on here seem to go against faster paced numbers and a series of atmospheric epics that go between eight and ten minutes in length. The one exception seems to be the opening "Overture: Themes From Deathsquad," which opens the album on bombarding symphonic flourishes and averts the overture filler rule in every way possible.
The fast tracks in particular provide a great deal of satisfaction with their energy and particularly memorable hooks. "On Earth As It Is In Hell" and "The Quest" are noteworthy songs due to the former's commanding transitions and the latter being an upbeat, driving anthem. But there is no doubt "Plague And Fyre" is the best song on the album and may be the happiest song ever written about the Bubonic Plague...
Of course, the longer songs are also well written and contain memorable moments of their own. The opening of "Blasphemy And The Master" allows a lot of David's acting skills to shine, "The Devil's Deadly Weapon" features some particularly nice touches of keyboard, and the closing "No Martyr's Cage" oddly isn't too different from what Candlemass is doing nowadays in some spots.
The album also stands out for the extensive sampling and spoken segments that used to bookend each track. While they generally help to give the album an overall unified structure, there are some points where they may go on for a little too long. The otherwise perfect "Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us" and the structurally interesting but rather cheesy "Macbeth" are two tracks that stand out in this regard.
Speaking of cheesiness, this is definitely not an album to look into if you're a listener that can't take a bit of ridiculousness with their music. It may not be campy in the same way that a good portion of their peers were back in the day or as satirical as the postmodern projects of today, but it is definitely a lot of fun to listen to if you don't take it too seriously.
If You Truly Believe In What You Do...
So is it cheating when one of the most intriguing albums in the modern day is a re-recorded collection of songs that are nearly thirty years old? Because this album may have its share of flaws and perhaps a little too over the top for some, but it is already a highlight of 2011 and may end up being a top album by the year's end.
It may end up having appeal to a very specialized demographic, but its strength and the influence that it should've had still make it worth recommending for metal fans of all backgrounds. Thrash fans should enjoy the speed, power metal listeners should enjoy the hooks, and other metal enthusiasts should find a kindred spirit in its morbid atmosphere. Prepare yourself for some hammy satanic fun!
Current Highlights:
- On Earth As It Is In Hell
- Plague And Fyre
- The Quest
- Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us
- No Martyr’s Cage
Christopher Latta - I am the lead singer/bassist of Psychic Faith and the writer of many hard rock and heavy metal reviews
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