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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old-school Death Metal perfection, June 8, 2008
Members from some of the Netherlands' most important death metal bands, namely Pestilence, Gorefest, Thanatos among others, have joined forces to form Hail of Bullets, a staggering old-school death metal band that offers uncompromising molten metal mayhem on their ambitious debut Of Frost and War.
Based around vocalist Martin van Drunen's ideas, the album is a conceptual piece of work revolving around WW2, particularly the eastern front. All tracks address the theme of war, painting a bleak picture of destruction a la Bolt Thrower during their heyday. This is further highlighted by the amazing packaging with authentic pictures and the fitting artwork. The lyrics of tracks like "The Lake Ladoga Massacre" and "The Crucial Offensive (19-11-1942, 7.30 AM)" are actually worth investigating, as van Drunen is certainly well versed in history.
This being a nod to the masters of old-school death metal, most of the songs are intentionally devoid of melodic patterns and see the band proceeding through mid-tempo to faster musical terrains. Melody is only offered at key points, in order to provide contrast to the bleak, relentlessly heavy death metal aesthetic. This actually works perfectly, as the band seems to understand the overemphasis of melodic segments would not serve the purpose of such an album, but when applied scarcely, the songs transcend their limits and turn into modern death metal anthems. Ed Warby's drumming, though a bit lower in the mix than his work on the demo, is staggering and powerful; while the guitar duo of Thanatos, Paul Baayens and Stephan Gebedi, lay down some amazing harmonies on pieces like "Nachthexen" and the phenomenal album closer "Berlin". Combined with van Drunen's dry, tortured growl and Theo van Eekelen's rumbling bass, the tracks immediately stand out due to their epic arrangement, thick guitar layering and overall feel.
The balance of the fast and mid-tempo tracks is achieved seamlessly, as the sludgy, almost doom-metal like "The Lake Ladoga Massacre" and "General Winter" morph into crushing death metal monsters with insane drum fills and suffocating twin guitar riffery. Pay attention to the ending of "General Winter" where wah-infested guitars form a thick wall of dissonance that messes with the head. Actually almost all of the songs on the album end on a grandiose note, giving the impression that there isn't a single overplayed note on them.
As with their demo, the album was mixed and mastered by Dan Swano and therefore it sounds savage, massive and brutal. Swano also does some death growls on "Ordered Eastward", one of the best tracks on the album. Rife with machine-gun riffery, militaristic drum beats and van Drunen's abrasive vocals, it takes on a completely new vibe as Dan Swano enters the piece with some of his most brutal and punishing death growls ever. Swano sings atop an epic guitar theme thick with harmony through most of the tune, but it concludes with van Drunen in the finale.
Of Frost and War is the best death metal debut of 2008, and perhaps even the best death metal album of the year. Fans of Autopsy, Death, Bolt Thrower, Celtic Frost, and Obituary are advised to check it out. This is the true soundtrack to war and destruction.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Depiction of Doom!, July 17, 2008
This album is simply amazing! In its simplicity it is surprisingly vivid in portaying the images of doom, destruction, and desparation that the world experienced during WWII. Bombong raids, gas attacks, and mass carnage abound in listening to the album. Low-end sludgy riffs paint a picture of helplesness in the wake of invasion and brutality of war. Every aspect is near perfect in conveying the devastation and sheer carnage of mankind at its worst. The black and white album art conjures retrospective images of the destrucion as the overall sound of the entire album seems to place the listener on a battlefield in the midst of overwhelming mortar attacks, gunfire, bombs, gas bombings, and inconcieveable carnage. Of Frost And War has inspired me, an artist myself to create my own depictions of these atrocties, as I have had similar images in my mind screaming to be released for years.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Death Metal Album in Years, April 15, 2009
Dutch Death Metal Supergroup!!!!
Hail of Bullets has members of Gorefest, Thanatos, ex-Asphx, and ex-Pestilence. This is by far the best death metal release in a long time hands down. Congratulations to Hail of Bullets for bringing back the old school death metal!! For those who don't know this is a concept album about the war on the Eastern Front between Germany in Russia in World War II. The mellow introduction 'Before the Storm' set the stage for oncoming onslaught 'Ordered Eastward'. The lead guitars handled by the two guitarist from Thanatos do a good job. Heavy riffs like in 'Ordered Eastward', 'Berlin' and the awesome solos like in 'Berlin'. My head hurts after listening to this album cause I have to continually head bang. The guitars are heavy as hell, and the drumming is awesome ( drum are handled by Ed Warby of Gorefest, an underrated drummer). Martin Van Drunen vocals are brutal, just like the good old days when he was growling for Asphyx, Pestilence, Comecon and Bolt Thrower. This is a must have album!!!!
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