Time Signature Fanning the flames of hell...

Genre: satanic power metal

Satan's Host have been around for a long time and explored various corners of the metal universe, including traditional metal, black metal, thrash metal, and power metal... yeah, blackened power metal is a reality! One constant element has been satanic blasphemy and that's one of the things that we love about Satan's Host. In 2015, they are going to release an epic double release entitled "Pre-dating God".

Part two of this epic opus picks up on the power-thrashy style of part one, and starts out with an extremely aggressive thrasher in the form of 'Fanning the Flames of Hell' with its soaring chorus and raging guitars. 'Soul Wrent' is a heavier affair and reminds me a bit of King Diamond's at his heaviest, and 'Lady n' the Snake' goes even heavier and incorporates elements of epic doom metal. 'As the Dead, They Sleep' is within the same heavy style, albeit less influenced by doom metal, and 'Descending in the Shadow of Osiris' is an epic track with a slight touch of King Diamond.

Compared to Part one, this is one is generally heavier and less thrashy - despite the aggressive opening track. It is just as entertaining though, but with a darker edge. As with part one, the musicianship is top notch as is the vocal performance.

Dans of power-thrash and US power metal should definitely check out both parts one and two of this epic metalfest by Satan's Host.

Time Signature Hell's disciples...

Genre: satanic power-thrash

Satan's Host have been around for a long time and explored various corners of the metal universe, including traditional metal, black metal, thrash metal, and power metal... yeah, blackened power metal is a reality! One constant element has been satanic blasphemy and that's one of the things that we love about Satan's Host. In 2015, they are going to release an epic double release entitled "Pre-dating God".

Part one takes a more thrashy direction and may be described as blackened power-thrash. And the blackened element does not just reside in the satanic lyrics, as these guys make use of blastbeats and other elements from black metal which they seamlessly blend in with US power metal elements (as heard in, for instance, the rather heavy 'Greed, Lust, Hate, War'). While some tracks are fairly balanced in terms of power metal and thrash metal, some lean more towards thrash metal, as in the case of 'Hell's Disciples', 'Embers of Will', and 'Valley of Blood' while the title track draws more on power metal and traditional metal with a few melodic black metal bursts.

Overall, however, the first part of "Pre-dating God" leans mostly towards thrash metal and is, in my book, a bona fide power-thrash release. The musicianship is top notch, and Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin's (aka. Leviathan Thisiren) soaring vocals suit the music style extremely well. The production is not too polished, so those who do not like the so-called sterile production of much modern metal should appreciate this release.

In my book, this is an extremely well put together album, which combines US power metal and thrash metal into a style which is both melodic and aggressive, and satanically larger than life.

Time Signature For the love of metal...

Genre: satanic power/thrash/trad. metal

It's time to celebrate the dark lords of satanic heavy metal! To mark their 25th anniversary, satanic metallers Satan's Host will unleash the aptly titled "CELEBRATION: For the Love of Satan" upon the world in ten days' time, and, boy are we in for a treat.

The album contains two original tunes and a bunch of older tunes which the band have re-recorded and buffed up with a crisp and well-defined modern sound. The overall style falls somewhere between traditional heavy metal and US power-thrash, but there are also elements from doom metal to be found, as well as more modern things such as blastbeats (which figure especially in the newer material).

Virtually every song is extremely strong in terms of riffage, and the way that Satan's Host have shined up the older tunes definitely has not done any damage, as it makes them sound more brutal and up-to-date. There are plenty of thrash and power metal tempos, which go well together with the more traditionally oriented riffs and the metal-as-hell powerful vocals which are akin to the singing styles associated with Symphony X and Firewind.

The lyrics are wonderfully Satan-praising, but a bit cheesy at times, and the many mentions of "Satan, Lucifer, Belial" might end up becoming tiresome to some listeners. Still, you gotta love the lyrics for being larger than life and hotter than hell - and they, of course, suit the imagery associated with the band.

Fans of traditional metal and power-thrash who are not afraid of a bit of satanism should check out this album, which, I think, definitely does Satan's Host's career and body of work justice.

Vehemency Having gone through various phases during its lengthy career, from the classic heavy metal of late 80s to the blackened death metal of late 2000s, Satan’s Host is now back with the original singer from Metal from Hell era, namely Harry Conkling. The result on By the Hands of the Devil is something like a mix of the two previous approaches, combining the darkness and Satanism of black metal and heaviness of death metal with Conkling’s clean heavy/power metal vocals.

And quite an interesting and successful combo it is. There are few bands who truly interest me in the field of power metal singing, but when it’s mixed with the utterly dark instrumentation and atmosphere, it all works. The eponymoys ”By the Hands of the Devil” makes sure of this already with its adventurous song progressions and epic chorus. Other noteworthy mentions of the album’s first half are ”Demontia” and the interlude-of-sorts ”Bleeding Hearts of the Damned”, the latter being a hypnotic, ritualistic and beautiful wandering amidst clean guitars and tom drums. I’m not able to spot as good tracks on the second half, but The Beatles cover ”Norwegian Wood” is a little surprise there, being an upbeat and folkish piece with church burning lyrics. I drank of the blood, Dark Lord Satan...

With a modern and in-your-face clean production, and an overdose of rather clinical and unnecessarily precise blast beats, By the Hands of the Devil might not have the charm of the scruffy Metal from Hell that I personally really like, but this album is clearly a well-thought whole that maybe runs for a little too long, but comprises some quite damn good compositions nonetheless. This could turn into a vital record for some of those who merely enjoy the most extreme of metals and despise classic high-pitched clean singing, because his/her opinion might just change after hearing By the Hands of the Devil. The album has been in relatively frequent rotation and will continue to do so - a sign of a good record.