Pestilential Shadows – Devil’s Hammer

Written by on 28-07-2024 at 22:40.

Where has the time gone? Australian band Pestilential Shadows is onto its seventh album. As colleague editor Mr. Alfvoet described, there’s a lot of cross-fertilization going on in the Aussie black scene. We know that Nazxul, Austere, and Germ don’t necessarily resemble each other in execution, but over the years there has been some carry over of influences between the members of one band and the other. Let me first say that for me, personally, nothing surpasses Nazxul when it comes to insanely strong black metal from the land of kangaroos. Although I couldn’t quite get into their latest album Irkalla. Iconoclast, on the other hand, is mandatory if you want to indulge in furious black. But I digress from the essence, which happens to be a devilish hammer in this case. Several reviews appeared on Zware Metalen about the work of Pestilential Shadows: In Memoriam, III Omen, Depths, Ephemeral, and Revenant. I am curious where Devil’s Hammer will take us, will we mainly hear pure aggression or also some more melancholic outbursts?

After the first listens I conclude that both musical expressions get their moments to shine. Sometimes the band is exceptionally tumultuous and it’s mainly about considerable riff and drum violence, for instance basically right from the start of the title track and album opener Devil’s Hammer. Do not underestimate the vocals here: the harsh, corrupted screams are bone-chilling. We mostly hear melancholy shine through when the perverts take a breather, for instance during Bitter Cross or at the end of Goddess of Winter.

Jackal sheds a somewhat different light, a new take, on the band’s music. Drums with a punk rhythm and accompanying vocal attitude are not something I immediately associate with this band, but I’ll let you in on a secret that it fits like a leather jacket with the right cut. After the start of the song it all sounds very passionate and authentic at the same time. Just like on the other albums we hear that cross-fertilization between Swedish meloblack and the American scene, but, please, can we just call this Australian black metal? Actually, I really don’t give a damn, because Pestilential Shadows is becoming a name of significance for anyone who knows the band. And this Devil’s Hammer is undoubtedly a nice introduction for the ‘green-as-grass fans’ who are still unblemished in the realm of obscure black. I’d say: listen specifically to the fiery and tormented Armour Satanised (shared in the link above). A delightful track with a fast opening and a Marduk-like atmosphere thanks to the continuously persistent blasts and downward spiral riffs. Shards of Dusk is very chilly and dramatically designed as closing track, pausing for an atmospheric interlude after about three minutes. We’re waiting for the tormented scream and the increase in tempo, just after the fourth minute the band members ignite the unholy fire again to march and blast. What a wonderful way to close this rather impressive album!

Score:

90/100

Label:

Northern Silence Productions , 2024

Tracklisting:

1. Devil’s Hammer
2. Bitter Cross
3. Despot of Cathartic Vigor
4. Tears of the Scythe
5. Scaphism
6. Jackal
7. Armour Satanised
8. Goddess of Winter
9. Shards of Dusk

Line-up:

  • Balam – Guitars, bass, vocals
  • Basilysk – Drums
  • Krvna Vatra – Guitars
  • Mourn – Guitars

Links: