Review: “Worship The Sun” by Krvsade (1st Anniversary)

“Militum Infernum“, “Judgement Day” and “Worship The Sun“, these are the short and yet sickeningly sweet EP sized gifts that Charlotte North Carolina Blackened Death Thrash Metal skull crushers Krvsade have given us since their inception in 2016. Ruminating on lyrical themes of War, Death, Horror and Hate early line up changes threatened to derail the train however stability since and injected new life into the corpse. Recorded at Kastle recording studio, “Worship The Sun” finds the quartet composing vocalist and guitarist Andre Evans, drummer Keegan Dennis, guitarist Arthur Reid and bassist Jeremiah Laird (known for his prior convictions in Ape Vermin, Rapheumets Well and Crow Hollar to name but a few) going totally DIY, engineering, mixing and mastering in house…

Sounding raw and powerful as if recorded live off the floor in a London dungeon, the heavy bass sound from Laird accompanies the percussive battery from Dennis like a match made in Hell. That rough and ready quality has a nostalgic charm that harks back to tape trading days in the 80’s while the volatile drum sound suggests that the band didn’t play to a click track but instead made it happen as naturally as possible. Stopping for a moment of spoken word poetry before a final thunderous onslaught, the title track finds the band in similar territory to bands like Sadistic Force having a similar swagger however Krvsade have more of an arty side to them. The mid tempo chugging earworm riff of “Muhammed’s Fall” rattles around the brain for days with Evans caustic vocals performance burning the ear drums. A twisted dark melody of a solo it surrounding by a whirlwind of seismic activity inducing rhythmic pummelling that is echoed in the opening of the force of nature that is “Ode To Faust“. A lethal dose of American hatred that looks to Scandinavia for influence, this one is an all out assault on the senses that goes off like a hand grenade. There are points when the caldron threatens to boil over but the band regain control, laying down a melodic solo to fade elegantly.

Not everyone is going to be a fan of the rumbling bass sound that Krvsade have used throughout the record and its prominence in the mix on cuts like “The Sands” is something that may take a minute to get your head around. The finale has a Black ‘n Roll charm to it, another all out adrenaline rush it has a haunting lead that slides into a false ending, the return offering up a surprise moment of riff worship in Doom Metal tribute to the likes of Candlemass and Black Sabbath. The eagle eyed among you will notice that while we’ve listed Destroyer 666 cover “Satanic Speed Metal” as present on this record, it is in fact a stand alone single. It’s deserving of a mention so we’re mentioning it. A rip roaring tribute to one to a band that is high up on their list of influences, Krvsade do the song justice while putting a spin of their own on it. The high pitched warbling moments aren’t something we’ve heard from Evans before as he harnesses his inner Ronnie James Dio as the band create the perfect soundtrack to a Church burning.  [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Worship The Sun
2. Muhammed’s Fall
3. Ode To Faust
4. The Sands
5. Satanic Speed Metal (Destroyer 666 Cover)

“Worship The Sun” by Krvsade is out now and available over at bandcamp