"Regicide" by Hour of Penance

About two months ago, when I was being interviewed for NPR, I discovered there was an album forthcoming with the title Regicide.

Just reading the title of that album, I knew that I had to hear it.

Emails were sent, approval was granted, and here we are. The album is by an Italian death metal band called Hour of Penance. Formed in 1999, Hour of Penance has released five previous albums and do not appear to be ready to mellow out.

Death metal has really returned with a vengeance in the current era. Aside from the newer deathcore, hyperdeath, symphonic-hyper-ultra-melodic-thrash-deadly-death metal, there has been a resurgence in American, if not Tampa Bay, style death metal. It warms my heart to see and hear that the extreme metal I grew up with has not been forgotten.

There is not enough Perroni in the world to mellow them out.

The albums tarts off with an introduction track. It quickly becomes apparent that Hour of Penance aren't a normal death metal band.

There are atmospheric sounds that I would call ethereal. There is are more setting of mood than just the usual thunder.

The snare drum is readily apparent, but  not up to Deicide levels. It does however have its own unique timbre.

The sound has a hardness to it. It doesn't have the give that most snare drums have. It makes the sound even more metal. If you're looking for breakdowns, you'll find them here.

There are a couple more points about drums that stuck out. Of course, there are more bass drum blast beats than shell casings on the ground in a Rambo movie, but there are three distinct types of them. Standard metal thuds, trigger thuds, and then guitar riff thuds.

Instead of the guitars playing the riffs in time, the beats pound the rhythm of the guitars to create an amazing effect.

Speaking of the guitars, there are some nice arpeggios, great thick sound, and some very strong solos, though not of the super facemelting variety, but let's not be too nitpicky.

The vocals sound better than someone coughing up blood for 45 minutes. It appears that David Vincent of Morbid Angel has been an influence here. The vocals are growled, rough, angry, but still intelligible. It's very clear that lyrics were written before he stepped into the recording booth.

All in all this is a damned fine record.

Release: 5/13/14
Genre: Metal, Death Metal
Label: Prosthetic Records
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Track list:
1. THROUGH THE TRIUMPHAL ARCH
2. REFORGING THE CROWNS
3. DESECRATED SOULS
4. RESURGENCE OF THE EMPIRE
5. SPEARS OF SACRED DOOM
6. SEALED INTO ECSTASY
7. REDEEMER OF ATROCITY
8. REGICIDE
9. THE SUN WORSHIP
10. THE SEAS OF LIGHT
11. THEOGONY