7" Vinyl Review: "Hell Comes To Life" by Death of Kings

Hell Comes To Life

Today we're talking about 7" vinyl.

In all of our vinyl reviews this is the first, but it won't be the last as we have a small pile of 7" records to review.

Last week our vinyl review was that of a record without the sleeve, so there wasn't an unboxing video. In this case, and with future 7" Records, there still won't be any unboxing videos. It seems, just kind of wrong to do so, but the same sort of packaging discussion will be all over the review itself.

In the past, we have done reviews on digital 7" releases, but this will be our first go with the real McCoy as it were.

You may recall our friends, Death of Kings, from an earlier interview. They gave some great information about who they are and what they do. You may wish to refresh yourself here. They have had a few 7" releases in the past and this one is on Boris Records.

Their full length debut will also be out later this year on Boris Records. You should make sure you check back by for the review.

This little friend of ours is a heavy duty platter of vinyl bigness crammed into a teeny tiny package. This is one of those times where music floods out of my speakers with some immeasurable clarity. The sound is truly god like.

Look at it.

This works out quite well as Death of Kings are a somewhat godlike band anyway. They're kind of what Himura Battousai would sound like had he taken up thrash metal instead of Hiten-Mitsurugu Style.

You know what I mean.

This one was made for vinyl. Just made for it. All of the death sound of CDs or the overcompression of MP3s....none of it is here. This record sounds like they're right here in the room with you trying to disembowel you and then use your entrails for a sacrifice.

It's kind of terrifying!

Side A is the title track, Hell Comes To Life. Remember in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, when the owner of Sun Studios asked Johnny what he would play if he had but one more song to play?

If Death of Kings were posed that question, I'd bet all my Star Wars figures, including Boba MF Fett, that they'd play this tune. It's huge, progressive, and has bitchin' guitar solos.

There's no metal fan alive who wouldn't be instantly transformed into a fan after hearing it. Well, if anyone could hear that and not be interested, they're dead inside.

Don't label me, pal.

Dead.

Side B is a Judas Priest cover. It's not a perfect cover, per my mind, as I couldn't tell it was a Priest song, but that's because Death of Kings truly made it their own.


Let's talk about the set. My 7" collection is a bit on the small side. I have Morbid Slaughter, Souls For Sale, and a box of singles I picked up at thrift shops. This is the first set that came with a download code, a poster, and lyrics.

Though this is a small set, there's no chintzing out on the package. There's also a poster...and because this is is a family program, we're not going to discuss the poster. I'll say there's a pinup girl who's ready to be drawn for an anatomy textbook somehow involved. Even a download code was included.

From top to bottom, groove to label, this is a top notch 7" EP. So far, there are none finer in my library and the tracks are great enough that I might just be hitting those 45rpm and 17mm buttons on my turntable a bit more often.

Release: 3/31/17
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Boris Records
Formats: EP/Digital
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