This is the second full length from this Quebecois band. We get black thrash with primitive riffing that straddles the lines of black, thrash, and sometimes even death metal. In fact, there's almost a rock and roll feel to some of the songs and writing, a swagger that not many black/thrash bands have. They even have a song entitles "Caveman Rock 'N Roll." Their solos in particular bleed rock and roll. Much of this is mid-paced, galloping along with a black metal feel. The production is nice and spacious, clear and well engineered, but it's also very natural, especially the drums. They sound almost live. The vocals are largely standard mid-range black metal growls but some low vocals do appear here and there, usually as backing vocals. The break up the album they give us an interlude filled with somber riffing and acoustic guitar, and it was a welcome break from the rest of the record. It was a smart move. A break for the ears can go a long way to making an album memorable. I hope a proper label comes along and puts this out far and wide, but there are cassettes available on their Bandcamp site.
Friday, January 9, 2026
Infernal Gates--Hell's Reaper (CS) {Independent}
This is the second full length from this Quebecois band. We get black thrash with primitive riffing that straddles the lines of black, thrash, and sometimes even death metal. In fact, there's almost a rock and roll feel to some of the songs and writing, a swagger that not many black/thrash bands have. They even have a song entitles "Caveman Rock 'N Roll." Their solos in particular bleed rock and roll. Much of this is mid-paced, galloping along with a black metal feel. The production is nice and spacious, clear and well engineered, but it's also very natural, especially the drums. They sound almost live. The vocals are largely standard mid-range black metal growls but some low vocals do appear here and there, usually as backing vocals. The break up the album they give us an interlude filled with somber riffing and acoustic guitar, and it was a welcome break from the rest of the record. It was a smart move. A break for the ears can go a long way to making an album memorable. I hope a proper label comes along and puts this out far and wide, but there are cassettes available on their Bandcamp site.

