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On disc: Byfrost



Of Death - Mike Thompson - 8 stars


www.myspace.com/byfrostmetal







Of Death

Of Death
(AFM Records - 2011)


Crunching guitars, meaty riffs and songs that make you want to try your best to suffer from chronic whiplash are exactly what Bergen's latest blackened sons, Byfrost.

Byfrost is a trio of Norwegians whose music on the first album, 2010's Black Earth, was enough to convince AFM to sign them. Unfortunately I've not yet heard the debut but going on the strength of this sophomore effort I will be hunting it down very soon.

The music on Of Death bears more than a passing resemblance to latter day Teutonic thrash influenced Immortal, the harsh deathrash style of Dutch quartet Legion Of The Damned and Storm Of The Light's Bane-era Dissection. In just over 37 minutes Byfrost conjure up eight fine articles of razor sharp blackened thrash that will melt your face and crush your skull. Actually, make that seven fine articles and one weird song called Sorgh that bears no resemblance to the rest of Byfrost's material and is completely out of place. So, half an hour of great blackened thrash and six minutes of weird, repetitive atmospheric nonsense.

Vocalist Heavyharms has a great rasp that is extremely easy to understand. His voice is, in fact, highly reminiscent of the late, great Jon Nödtveidt and this I'm sure most people will agree is no bad thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this once I learned to skip track 7. I imagine the material on this album will absolutely slay live! Fans of blackened thrash, melodic black metal and awesome riffage should definitely get on this one!


8 stars

Mike Thompson
 

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