Terminal Nation – Echoes Of The Devil’s Den

Written by on 25-08-2024 at 23:34.

For all your parties and events, Terminal Nation is in the house! At least if you enjoy brutal death metal with a solid hardcore twist. The 2020 debut Holocene Extinction was picked up by colleague editor Dypfrys and rated with eighty-six points, concluding it as “Zwaar Metaal” (“Heavy Metal”), indeed, with capital letters. Confidently I am diving into this follow-up album Echoes Of The Devil’s Den, because these guys sure know how to play death metal. There’s no lie in Mr. Dypfrys’s conclusion.

And indeed, the opener is the hard-hitting, heavy title track. The vocals are so fierce that you get swept away in the relentless maelstrom of deathly hardcore violence. It is impressive how this truly is a crossover between these two genres, without really hovering towards either one. The sum of the parts blends into one pounding, rhythmic cadence. No Reform (New Age Slave Patrol) is perhaps one of the most striking examples in this regard. The atmosphere is very intense, as we know from the hardcore genre, while the devastating drums and bass sound like concrete bricks being pumped through the speakers. Ultimately, the quintet quickly gains full grip and control over their listeners by making such rudimentary yet solidly composed music. As reviewing editor I frequently hand out extra bonus points, and this time one of the winners is the up-tempo passage and sizzling lead of Empire in Decay. “All I have is hate,” the vocalists roar and scream. Well, rest assured guys, that was already clear.

The fact that these gentlemen aren’t averse to some melodic guitar work is evident when listening to the interlude Embers of Humanity. Afterwards these brutal artists continue on their demolition journey in the second half of the album. It’s a matter of building momentum, breaking it down, and building it up again. With the help of clean guest vocals from Killswitch Engage‘s Jesse Leach, the band emotionally grabs you by the proverbial balls, as if making “just hard” music wasn’t enough. If you’ve read the review of the previous album, I don’t need to tell you that the lyrics are highly critical of society. And on this album, that rebellious, anti-authoritarian attitude is as present as ever. Track titles Bullet for a Stone and Cemetery of Imposters are highlighting this already, which may bring some extra persuasive power to the table, making this album even more appealing to those who share the same viewpoints or ideas. Musically, I dare say that Echoes Of The Devil’s Den is compelling material for almost every death/hardcore fan; you don’t have to constantly follow the lyrics or agree or disagree with them.

The latest album from Terminal Nation offers forty minutes of highly engaging material. Every second literally counts, the craftsmanship is of an astonishingly high level. Additionally, almost every track feels like a sharp slap in the face or a punch in the gut. Therefore, I can’t help but rate this death/hardcore album even higher than the previously reviewed debut. So far, there are very few bands within the genre that come close to the heaviness and vocal aggression of this American ensemble.

Score:

89/100

Label:

20 Buck Spin Records, 2024

Tracklisting:

  1. Echoes of the Devil’s Den
  2. Written by the Victor
  3. The Spikes Under the Bridge
  4. No Reform (New Age Slave Patrol)
  5. Empire in Decay
  6. Embers of Humanity
  7. Merchants of Bloodshed
  8. Bullet for a Stone
  9. Dying Alive
  10. Cemetery of Imposters
  11. Immolation (Of Mother Earth)
  12. Release the Serpents

Line-up:

  • Chase Turner – Bass, vocals
  • Stan Liszewski – Vocals
  • Tommy Robinson – Guitars
  • Chase Davis – Drums
  • Dalton Rail – Guitars

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