12th August 2024

Review: “Sin Eater” by Hellwrath

Emerging from post apocalyptic wasteland of south London, Extreme Metal trio Hellwrath have declared themselves as death dealers to be reckoned with, despite only gathering beneath the banner earlier in 2024. Employing the services of Alex Sedin (Anachronism, Adelon, Essence Of Datum) of Ghostalgy Productions to assist them in their plans for World Domination, vocalist Paul Bower, guitarist Igor Korsakov and bassist Dylan Price have put forward five fresh cuts of original heavyweight Slamming Death Metal and Deathcore for their debut record. Adding to the mayhem they also have an eyebrow raising cover of “I Stand Alone” by Godsmack as well as a EDM remix of the title track to make it a seven course meal…

Vocalist Paul Bower doesn’t make any secret of his past, drawing upon his days working in the grim and pressurised environment of the United Kingdoms prisons as well as his own battles against inner demons to fuel the fire cathartically throughout this first burnt offering. Sinister Beatdown Deathcore riffs and a sample are used to usher in the darkness of “Silence By Death“, it’s powerful gang chanted moments something that are going to go down a storm with call and response live. It may be short and sweet but it is also a call to arms that warns of violence with Bower pacing menacingly as he spits his venom before playing perfect partners with conjoined twin “Insipid Oblivion“. Staccato riff breaks hit like hammers as it makes an impact and Hellwrath make their presence felt, the pounding drums causing vibrations that run deep while the vocals feel like a buzzsaw calling for your brains. Another short sharp burst of a sonic abrasion, it will make you question your sanity if you’re left alone in a dark room. What’s interesting about these tracks is that they haven’t been left to fester but instead chemically enhanced with moments of nuance. Fleeting orchestrations, samples and eerie background noises are all present at some point or other, just waiting to burst forth from the mix and take a bite from your ear canal.

Title track “Sin Eater” has an air of anger and despondency in wanting to punish you for your sins, the intensity of the spine juddering angular riffage and pulverising percussion nothing short of that. At times the Bower’s throat is nothing but an implement of destruction, the lyrics incomprehensible and rightly so given the stylings the band want to claim for their own. “The Alchemist” stomps and groves, sharpening its teeth on the grindstone while being ready to strike at any given moment, pig squeals bringing the house down after a lethal dose of down tuned riffage. It’s like getting dragged through a black hole kicking and screaming. The drum machine may deliver a few flat notes but it gives the track named after the band itself “Hellwrath” a mechanical, industrial quality as bass drops and resin scrapings take hold. Again the use of the gang chant works incredibly well in the context and then comes that Godsmack cover. What Hellwrath have done is make the tune distinctively their own, taking the main riff and flow of the original and increasing the intensity dramatically. Bowers harsh unclean vocals are stripped back a little so that all the lyrics are recognisable, the issue being that while their songs get greater impact by being shorter and sharper, this one is dulled slightly by surpassing four minutes. As for the chop shop EDM remix of “Sin Eater“, well it’s actually pretty decent as remixes go. If this is the warning shot, make no mistake that the next one will be fatal. [7.5/10]

Track Listing