Album Review: "Written In Blood" by Raise Hell

Written In Blood

Today's subject plays the oft forgotten about metal genre that's a clear response to what the English forebears began.

There was a time when metal wasn't fast or too aggressive and even when it still retained some of the old flower power, but then some Americans took hold of it and added the anger to stew...but I do go on don't I?

Let's meet some new old friends.

Today our album review is for some Swedish Thrash Metal.

You read that as death metal didn't you? Honestly, I don't blame you. It's really hard to conceive of Swedish Metal not being death metal or black metal, but here we are.

Raise Hell are  hardly new to the scene. Written In Blood is their sixth full length album, but this is my first time sampling their wares.

Raise Hell

Raise Hell have certainly not attempted to reinvent the wheel.

The riffs gallop like a herd of mustangs.

The drums pound along like they should.

There are some very well executed guitar solos that never head over into the over the top category, in fact there's never too much of them.

Lots of thrash bands, and metal bands in general have definitely been guilty of overplaying the leads.

The vocals do not fit into the standard thrash mold. The high pitched screams of Exodus and Anthrax are thankfully nowhere to be found. I've never found that style to properly fit the music. Here they're gritty and angry. It's a much more pleasing mold.

The songs have some truly inspired riffing with nice  hooks added hither and thither to keep the songs from drowning in monotony. Aside from the requisite palm mute thrashing, Raise Hell add in some nice melodic arpeggios keeping the album fresh at all times.

Release: 8/21/15
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Black Lodge Records
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