HAIL OF BULLETS

Of Frost And War

Metal Blade/ CD

There is no doubt that HAIL OF BULLETS debut album is one of the most important releases on the European death metal scene in 2008. Just try to imagine a band featuring members of such great acts as PESTILENCE, ASPHYX, THANATOS and GOREFEST. Does it not sound good enough to you? You may be seriously wrong looking for something here. There's no emo stuff hidden behind HAIL OF BULLETS name. So, go to listen to your favorite metalcore hero and don't bother me anymore...

For the others (who are still here curious what's going on) I would like to introduce HAIL OF BULLETS line up: Martin van Drunnen on vocals, Paul Baayens and Stephan Gebedi on guitars, Theo van Eekelen on bass and Ed Warby on drums. Do you know the guys, right? Anyhow, that assembly of famous persons of Dutch metal scene shouldn't be a decisive argument for you. So let me finally tell you something about their first album. It's a fuckin' masterpiece. OK, I'm exaggerating a little but this is definitely a very good and solid album. Filled with primary death metal in the vein of such barbarians as ASPHYX, AUTOPSY, BOLT THROWER, UNLEASHED and a few other crews who are also preferring forcible solutions. You have no choice, you have been deprived of this possibility. Neither justice nor law. Time has come, get ready for war.

„...Of Frost And War” is fucking metal, true to the bone, dark and evil, played with passion by metalmaniacs exclusively for other metalmaniacs. There's no something like a „feigned aggression”, this album is truly heavy, powerful and anti- peaceful in every single tune. It contains eleven songs (plus intro) of marching, military death metal, leaded by terrifying screaming of Martin van Drunnen, who also wrote the lyrical concept of it, based on World War II crucial moment, I mean the Eastern Campaign (actually I think is a great combination since HAIL OF BULLETS sounds like a fucking tank, big, atrocious, awfully effective, smashing whatever tries to stand in its way). There also can be heard some references to epic doom music, especially in the guitar solos emerging from behind this thick curtain of smoke, fire and shredding riffing. Rhythmic diversity, this is definitely another thing that should be underlined here. Warby is a genius when it comes to mixing really slow and ultrafast drumming parts. His rich and unique style of playing perfectly fits in with pretty raw, direct riffing of Baeyens and Gebedi. Songs are interesting, the production overwhelmingly good... Sorry boys, there's nothing to complain about. Get your own copy, put into a CD player and terrorize your neighbours.

10/12