SATAN
“Songs In Crimson”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Satan are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 1979, recognised as one of the pioneering bands that shaped the sound of the legendary NWOBHM evolution during the early to mid eighties along with bands such as Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Praying Mantis and Venom. During a career spanning forty five years, Satan have released seven studio albums, the bands 1983 debut widely regarded as one of the first ever albums to incorporate thrash metal! Over the years, the band has suffered numerous line-up changes, disbanded a number of times, and featured two name changes during the early stage of their career – the current line-up consisting of vocalist Brian Ross, bass player Graeme English, drummer Sean Taylor, and guitarists Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey. The bands new album ‘Songs In Crimson’ – released in 2024, is a ten song, forty five minute march of bold, blunt, and in your face heavy metal!

And as long time fans of Satan will know, the band have never lost sight of their NWOBHM roots, many of the bands songs forever keeping the spirit and feel of the eighties metal scene well and truly alive – for the most part anyway! For the band don’t rely on past glories or reputation, Satan are a forward thinking band living in the present looking to the future with a constantly evolving sound – so if you’re expecting a nostalgic trip down a NWOBHM-lined memory lane, you can just forget it! The band have already done the last forty years, they’re now focusing on the next forty – ‘Songs In Crimson’ storming into life with the fast paced head banger ‘Frantic Zero’. The blistering speed here is incredible, Satan quickly into their stride to vigorously rock the heads back and forth of every listener, fan and follower all around the world. What an absolute scorcher to begin the album with!

An album that roars on at pace with the heavier ‘Era (The Day Will Come)’, the thundering tempo louder than an erupting volcano! A fucking big volcano, one that’s spewing red hot lava high into the sky just as much as Satan are spewing an all conquering red hot brand of heavy metal – the British band bulldozing their way across the land with tremendous purpose and intent! A bruising brace to set ‘Songs In Crimson’ on its way, the band march relentlessly on with ‘Whore Of Babylon’, the first three songs an unbridled threesome of some of the finest full on and in your face traditional heavy metal you’re ever likely to hear this year. Satan aren’t regarded as one the genres greats for no fucking reason you know, the band continuing to show every up and coming young band how heavy metal should be – ‘Sacramental Rites’ strolling in on the crest of a short mellow wave, the tension fuelled atmosphere unbearable as Satan build to a crescendo! And then the ground shudders under the immense weight of ‘Sacramental Rites’, the band setting off underground earthquakes all around the world, the explosive energy pouring outta the album right now greater than that needed to launch the space shuttle!

And as regular readers will already know, I’m a traditional metaller through and through, a British boy born the year Black Sabbath released their debut album, growing up during the glorious eighties on a diet of Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Praying Mantis, Venom, Satan (of course), and many, many more – so to say heavy metal’s in my blood would probably be the biggest understatement of the last fifty years! ‘Songs In Crimson’ marches on at pace with ‘Martyrdom’, every mosh pit right now just a sea of frenzied head banging maniacs, the power of the heavy metal on show threatening to take over the world! And I for one would gladly accept heavy metal as a world leader, after all, I’ve been a devout supporter all my life – the speed of the album trebling as ‘Turn The Tide’ rockets off at high velocity, the head bang ability shooting right through the fucking roof! The album’s been foot to the floor since it began, Satan delivering an uncompromising array of heavy metal, ‘Turn The Tide’ breaking in to thrash metal territory to attract thrashers into the bands soundscape! A soundscape that’s holding everyone’s attentions captive, yet for me, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now ’cause the heavy metal on show is just so fucking good! And is only getting better and better, ‘Captives’ hurtling outta the blocks to maintain the albums incredible pace, the band surging on with unwavering intensity to keep a very tight hold on listener’s attentions.

And let’s be honest here for a minute, Satan are one of the “old guard” in terms of pioneering metal bands from over forty years ago that are producing some of the best music of their careers, joining the likes of Iron Maiden, Accept, Stryper, Riot, and Paul Di’Anno (by way of his most recent band Warhorse) in dominating recent end of year polls and charts! So what’s not to say Satan aren’t gonna top them all this year? Nothing, absolutely nothing, the band putting the iconic metal gallop front and centre as ‘Curse In Disguise’ strides into view. ‘Songs In Crimson’ may have dropped a gear here, but after two minutes the album roars through the gears to resume the blistering pace heard everywhere else, Satan maintaining a late charge for the Album Of The Year title. And deserved it would be too, the album’s been a breath taking barrage of some of the heaviest, most intense traditional heavy metal I’ve heard all year! And believe me, I’ve heard a lot – a hell of a lot! And with a more melodic approach, ‘Truth Bullet’ is the only song on offer that truly resonates with the good old days of the eighties and the revolutionary NWOBHM, Satan for just one moment taking a quick glance backwards – the band predominantly looking forward as ‘Songs In Crimson’ comes to a close with ‘Deadly Crimson’, the band maintaining the energy and infectious levels at maximum! The head bang ability too, Satan ending a glorious album on a glorious high.

Overall, a barnstorming and fast paced array of heavy metal, ‘Songs In Crimson’ is a blistering barrage of immense head bang ability.

TRACKLIST

Frantic Zero
Era (The Day Will Come)
Whore Of Babylon
Sacramental Rites
Martyrdom
Turn The Tide
Captives
Curse In Disguise
Truth Bullet
Deadly Crimson

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