Pennsylvania’s Sathanas have been working for over two decades in something close to obscurity. Their back catalog is chock-full of quality blackened death/thrash releases that have not gotten the press they deserve. We’re here to change that narrative, because Necrohymns is a killer record that deserves to be heard by fans of thrash and death metal alike. In preparation for this record’s release, we are pleased to bring you “Harbinger of Death”, premiering exclusively here at Heavy Blog.
Right off the bat, this track delivers what fans of Sathanas already know about the band’s established sound: Pure aggression that fluctuates between black, death, and thrash metal with relative ease. Opening with a militant march of drum, guitar, and fantastically clear bass work (brought up high and perfectly in the mix, praise be!), the track soon goes into full-on overdrive, as black metal rhythms mingle with death metal chugging and thrash shredding. Paul Tucker’s vocals are a perfect complement to the sonic hell being unleashed here, pushing through and careening around the music like a runaway wrecking ball. It’s a fast, tight, lean piece of music that’s as razor sharp as they come. While speed is the foundation upon which the band operates, “Harbinger of Death” is very far from one-note. Mid-tempo, Incantation-esque riff fests occupy the majority of the track’s middle section, and are eventually consumed by a raging finale that ties all of the above elements together into a seamless whole. It’s an expertly written and performed track by a band that knows exactly what it’s good at, and does just and only that for nearly five minutes of audio punishment.
There is very little to fault Sathanas for here. This is a fantastic track from an equally fantastic record, filled to the brim with aggression, speed, and technically sound musicianship and songwriting. If your day needs a quick jolt, you’ll find none better than “Harbinger of Death”. Look for the record on July 10th through Transcending Obscurity Records and pre-order it on the band’s Bandcamp page.