Hell-Born – Natas Liah (Album Review)

Backwards titles beget primordial blackness.

If the Scandinavian interpretation of the black metal aesthetic can be understood as the pinnacle of coldness, then its Polish counterparts could be best understood for its versatile approach to adapting that coldness into a number of differing expressions. One can’t help but note the radically different manner in which Graveland’s incorporation of Celtic folk themes into a vintage template similar to Bathory manifests when compared against the militaristic, impact-based death metal assault of Behemoth. These two examples are naturally the most pronounced of the pack, but they represent the mere tip of the iceberg of a number of variations upon a sound that is often regarded as monolithic by those with limited experience with it. In the peculiar case of Hell-Born, a band that has been playing within the blackened playground since the mid-1990s, this uniquely Polish brand of eclecticism manifests in a trifecta of vintage extreme metal stylings, communicated through a present day lens.

Though this particular project was initially slated to be a side-project by former Behemoth and then current members of the death metal project Damnation, it quickly morphed into a full time endeavor for all involved, providing a nuanced blend of death, black and thrash metal elements that stood apart from the growing number of bands seeking to emulate the earlier Scandinavian sound. Perhaps the only static element in their assembly of moving parts is the vocal performance of Baal Ravenlock, whose guttural barks and ravings have a clear death metal bent that largely splits the difference between the dank approach of David Vincent and Corpsegrinder. Apart from this, the bag proves a decidedly mixed one in terms of presentation, often vacillating between the more chaotic fringes of the frosty sounds of early 90s Norway and a thrashing brand of riff-happy thrashing that splits the difference between the early Swedish and Florida death metal scenes, yet losing little of its effectiveness in the process.

Despite being the first offering to grace the masses in about 13 years, this band’s long awaited return effort Natas Liah showcases a band that has lost none of its punch with the passage of time, presenting nine equally yoked excursions into the murky depths. Individually considered, each song generally replicates the deep, sludgy sound of the heavier end of the Swedish death metal sound as originally explored by Entombed and Grave back in the early 90s, though the presentation differs greatly from one song to the next. The opening blazer “When You Are God” largely sticks to the textbook riffing style one would expect from the early blackened offerings of Immortal or Darkthrone, save with a less crackling and more swampy production, ditto the tremolo riffing extravaganza “Ye Olde Woods Devil” and the blasting melodic sorrow of “The Butcher”. On the other end of the spectrum is a fairly blatant nod to old school Morbid Angel in “In God’s Death” and a compact death thrashing rollercoaster dubbed “Soulrape”.

“Natas Liah” Album Artwork

Given the rather long period of time that has elapsed since this outfit’s last opus “Darkness” graced the store shelves, let alone the band’s seminal offerings that originally set them apart from the rest of the Polish scene, they might come off as a bit of a throwback given their generally old school production approach and adherence to the varied blend of extreme metal influences that are more often associated with black metal during its earliest incarnations. Though the production job here is definitely up to par with present day practices of those not seeking to go the cinematic route of the symphonic scene or the highly processed one often explored by Behemoth of late, this will be mostly geared towards those who long for the days when the early adherents of the second wave of black metal were taking their cues directly from Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost, and when the style’s association with the death metal scene of northern Europe was more pronounced. One might say that old is new and new is old when it comes to Hell-Born, but either way, this packs enough punch to rival the death metal greats of today and enough frosty atmospherics to freeze the corpses for processing later

Released by: Odium Records
Released Date: January 26th, 2021
Genre: Black Metal

Musicians:

• Baal Ravenlock / Bass, Vocals
• Les / Guitars
• Diabolizer / Drums

“Natas Liah” track-listing

1. When You Are God
2. Axis of Decay
3.  Ye Olde Woods Devil
4. Uroboros
5. The Butcher
6. Son of Earth
7. In God’s Death
8. Soulrape
9. Blakk Metal