Hellbutcher - Hellbutcher

Hellbutcher is a black metal band from Sweden that formed in 2022. This self titled album is their full-length album and they have also released a demo.

2024 has been a year of musical surprises. I've reviewed quite a few albums from bands I wasn't familiar with and was satisfied with the results. Hellbutcher’s debut fits firmly into this category as well.  Their brand of black metal has a definite old school vibe to it but approaches the genre with a modern sense. Despite how intense and unforgiving it can be, the album manages to be melodic as well with a lot of big hooks.

The production is fantastic—-black metal doesn't always need toilet bowl stain production and the album runs with this idea. It doesn't take away from their underground appeal and, if anything, actually makes it sound more dynamic and even vibrant. 

The melodic beginning of “The Sword of Wrath,” gives an idea as to what awaits on the rest of the album.  The melodies are catchy but also sharp and seamlessly blend into the faster parts.  The blackened shrieks aren't too high pitched and, at times, remind me of Old Man's Child. I’ve heard but they are serviceable.  In the middle part of the song, the music rages from the surprisingly catchy chorus as the lead guitar spearheads a melodic movement that retains the energy of the song with the help of the tight, crisp drums and bass.

The album is sprinkled with influences from a more traditional form of heavy metal, particularly with how the lead guitar explodes out from the riffs, such as in the beginning of “Violent Destruction.”   A cacophony of guitar and drums duel it out in the songs midsection, offering a scene of chaotic hellfire.  

Of course, the album heavily incorporates thrash metal as well.  “Possessed By The Devil’s Flames,” is an old school rush infused with extreme elements that make it sounds like an ode to the 80’s but on steroids. The band has a fantastic ability to make even the most melodic parts sound evil and haunting.  

The final song is the absolute banger that is the appropriately titled “Inferno’s Rage.”  From beginning to the end, this flesh rending song never lets up.  Along the way the band still manages to instill a sense of old school sensibilities, making it as catchy as it is devastating. 

All in all, Hellbutcher’s self-titled album is an surprisingly polished and catchy album that manages to not let either of those often alien terms take away from their extremity.