SOULBURN
“EARTHLESS PAGAN SPIRIT”
Album Review By Rick Tilley
8/10
Up until now Dutch band Soulburn and their music has never really crossed my path, probably due to the fact they have had quite a convoluted existence, ‘Earthless Pagan Spirit’ is only their third album in that time and if you read my reviews regularly then you’ll know the extreme end of the Metal spectrum is not always my favourite . First formed in 1996 after the demise of Asphyx, they released their debut album ‘Feeding On Angels’ in 1998 but were put to rest when Asphyx returned in 2000. They reformed in 2013/2014 with a new line-up, released ‘The Suffocating Darkness’ and ‘Earthless Pagan Spirit ‘is the next step on their journey.
I might still never have got round to listening to their output had it not been for a short list of influences on the Press Release, namely Bathory and Venom! My ‘heavier’ musical taste finally went down the Thrash Metal route but early albums from those two bands plus Celtic Frost, Voi Vod, Possessed and Warfare, amongst others, played a huge part in my formative years. I thought to myself that if Soulburn were to sound like any of those then ‘Earthless Pagan Spirit’ would be a damn good listen and so it has proved to be! Indeed, to my ears, early Bathory, Possessed, Venom and Celtic Frost are very big influences here and had it not been for the full and up to date production could well be from that early to mid 1980’s era.
Soulburn have retained the same line-up that graced the previous album and whilst I’ve not yet heard that I imagine that continuity has worked in their favour. Founding members Eric Daniels (Guitars) and Bob Bagchus (Drums) both previously of Asphyx are joined by Remco Kreft (Xenomorph and ex Nailgun Massacre) on second guitar and Legion Of The Damned guitarist Twan van Geel, who for Soulburn is the vocalist and bassist. Between them they have unleashed an album of Proto Black, Doom and Speed Metal that is unhealthily evil. I have seen it mentioned in another review that they sound repetitive and boring, but it’s precisely that sound, so reminiscent of early Bathory that I love.
Kicking off with the brilliantly entitled ‘Where Splendid Corpses Are Towering Towards The Sun’ leaves the listener under no illusions that ‘Earthless Pagan Spirit’ will be anything other than an immense barrage of head banging bliss. Guitars and bass are absolutely filthy, drums thump like an infected heart and Twan’s vocals couldn’t sound any more satanic if you pinned a red forked tail and some horns to him! ‘The Blood Ascendant’ is up next and starts as a straight up piece of doom before swapping beautifully between that, a thumping medium pace and Venom/Iron Angel Speed (fast but not too fast). They are an excellent open salvo but it’s the next track ‘Howling At The Heart Of Death’ that really hit me. Again starting slowly with evocative and haunting guitar it then breaks into the main riff and it could have come from Bathory’s ‘Blood Fire Death’ album. It’s not a copy but there is a huge homage paid, It’s Soulburn’s answer to ‘A Fine Day To Die’ and yet again a more modern band have managed to transport me back to my early days in style!
‘Earthless Pagan Spirit’ continues in this vein for nearly its duration, even including ethereal, ghostly female vocals on ‘Withering Nights’. I say nearly because final track ‘Diary Of A Reaper’ is a less than solid climax. It’s not actually a song, being male and female spoken word over atmospheric sounds and slow drums. In itself it’s not bad, sounding like a sacrifice scene from a Hammer Horror movie, but it’s just in the wrong place and would have worked much better as an introduction. Overall though, Earthless Pagan Spirit’ is an excellent album with Soulburn proving that you don’t need to scream needlessly and endlessly over blast beats to make a modern day Black/Death release sound Heavy!
TRACKLIST
Where Splendid Corpses Are Towering Towards The Sun
The Blood Ascendant
Howling At The Heart Of Death
As Cold As Heavens Slain
Withering Nights
The Torch
Spirited Asunder
Diary Of A Reaper
The Last Monument Of God
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