Review: HELGRIND – “Inquisition”

Tracklist
1. Burn
2. Hurt
3. Evil Inside
4. Revenge
5. Break Out
6. Black Rain
7. In the Name of
8. No Tomorrow
9. Second Sight
10. Subhuman
11. Prophecy of Destruction

released: 2011

Thrash Metal from the UK ? Well…if I am thinking about that the first band I remember is Onslaught. UK is and was not the biggest point in thrash music. Helgrind, a band that is part of the scene for years now in the underground and willing to change the status for the United Kingdom with their newest release „Inquisition“. But the bands main influences come from overseas in acts like Exodus, Overkill, Testament, Slayer and Sepultura. Top acts in this genre for sure and we will see if Helgrind can break in this phalanx of thrash metal’s Hall of Fame.

…and the album starts furious with „Burn“. Fast like an artillery fire and vocals in Tom Araya style.
Excellent riffing build a huge wall of sound and slowing the tempo a bit. A four minute bullet as appetizer for what we can await from this band. Thrash in the higher league.

„Hurt“ starts slower and contains good hooks first. More melodic elements but always thrashy played. Paul Nelson performs here more the old Sepultura Max Calavera way. Three minutes midtempo thrash in memories of brazil’s finest.

With „Evil inside“ we are back on the highway with 200mph. Brutal vocals near to death growls along with thrash shouts. Excellent drumming is pushing the line and a powerful guitar solo in traditional metal way rounds up this short but intensive smasher.

Next Helgrind is screaming for „Revenge“. And is continuing keeping the speed. Similar to the song before, even a little bit faster played. If you listen to the drums you know why. Again the guitar solo brings melodic elements into the sound. So with that the songs sound fresh and with a high listenable factor. Short, directly coming to the point without compromise but decorated with melodic elements in the guitar work. And this works really good….

Definetely no reason to „Break out“. This song is walking again on fields of pure thrash like Slayer couldn’t play it better. The riffs are marching. No time for the weak to breathe, uncompromising brutality, always under control of the musicians know how of playing their instruments. Fast forward…no looking back.

With „Black Rain“ and it’s 7 minutes we have a so called thrash metal long track next. Remembers from the structures a little bit to the last Heathen album. Even some Kreator shine through. Coma of Souls…I can hear you ! And of course…in seven minutes you cannot only pack highspeed in the track. And so…I awaited that…a break with a harmony guitar solo, really melodic, appears and interrupts the aggression in a brilliant way. Clever arrangements to keep the excitement high. Not only cause of its lenght the best song so far. Different styles from thrash to traditional metal, supported from the..again and again…great guitar work, cooks a perfect meal for gourmets of harder metal sounds. My special respect here for Jim Hunt and his six string dinner.

Kickin drums open „In the name of…“. Andy Keel pumps the air with all the hands and feet he owns. The song can be categorized again in the Sepultura section earlier days. The ground direction is midtempo. The highway is crowded now, let’s put one foot from the metal pedal. Mighty guitar hooks lean the song even sometimes a light epic touch. In the middle an acoustic part followed by another great guitar solo interrupts the crime scene. Helgrind are real experts in songwriting…the songs will never let you been bored. Congratulations for that.

Also acoustic starts „No tomorrow“. Ok..the riff that follows is too easy and often heard. Half-time growls and the all time present brutality save the song from lower class but the song is one of the less strong ones. Only the very amazing guitar solo in the end is not from this world and stands for the high quality that Helgrind are able to deliver.

Another longtrack to follow….“Second Sight“ a six-minute pounder starts like a power metal song with thrash vocals. Triggered drums speeds it up. As I said it often before…I am fascinated by the guitar hooks and sounds. So here…listen to it and you will know what I mean. Point. Ok..this song contains lots of tempo changes. Mainly fast, but with enough breaks to fill the six minutes with life and let the song become another highlight of the album. Extreme powerful and mighty arrangements. You need no second sight to explore that.

Sorry…but „Subhuman“ was missing in my promo so I cannot tell you something about that song. Anyway so we are heading to the last song „Prophecy of Destruction“.
And we are back in the Slayer/Kreator world. Another typical thrash song like we know it and love it. Midtempo to upper speed. But the song brings also a doom part supported by deep growls. Paul Nelson screams nearly his soul out and celebrates this prophecy with destruction.

I am really surprised about „Inquisition“. Awaited a standard thrash album…I could find fresh and tasty elements in Helgrind’s sound. The band knows how to play and how to structure songs so that they never let you be bored. And…I always can proclaim that: The guitars, specially in the solos, are brilliant played and in that kind I never heard it in a thrash band before. Horns up for that !!

If you are interested in good quality thrash and your mind is opened for some mixes with traditional metal styles…you cannot do anything wrong buying this album. The band shows experience and you hear that. My opinion is….Helgrind is short before the breakthrough in the area of the biggest thrash names we know. Let the wall break down soon !!!

Points 9/10

Review by Kerbinator

BUY HELGRIND ALBUMS (click on the links):
Helgrind – Inquisition
Helgrind – Religious Persecution