Burial Hordes – Ruins Review

Oh, to be the gentleman to your left. Not only has he developed an innovative way to do more pull-ups by reducing overall body mass, he also finds himself on the cover of an album most bestial and cruel. Greece’s Burial Hordes evades several restraining orders to retch up their fifth album Ruins, and it’s a bilious expulsion indeed. I didn’t know anything about this act when I grabbed the promo, but Burial Hordes seems to be familiar with me, and also with you… and for some reason, they hate us both. The band has been releasing blackened death metal at odd intervals since 2001, living in the shadow of the members’ estimable other gigs. With Ruins, Burial Hordes makes their claim on the spotlight. Are you willing to expose yourself to what Burial Hordes has been up to for the past two decades… and how the fuck have we all stayed safe from this unit since the turn of the century?

It’s like a kaiju has been stomping around and reducing third-tier cities to particles with its patented Fetid Miasma, and the rest of the planet didn’t bother to notice. ¹ Ruins is both an album title and a statement of intent. The label bills this as “blackened death metal,” and there are pleasing frosty riffs buried deep down in the mix. Call me crazy, though: Ruins is a death metal album through and through, reminding the listener most viscerally of Dead Congregation. I scrawled that name in my notes within seconds of pressing “Play,” and lo and behold D.C. axeman T.K. is a driving force within Burial Hordes. Fans of scuzzy but somehow melodic death metal will find a home here, taking refuge in the might and weight of this bruising and beautiful demolition derby.

By “beautiful,” I mean “fucking hideous.” Burial Hordes seeks, and largely finds, that combination of poison and poptimism trademarked most notably by Immolation. These compositions engage even while they crush everything in sight. Opener “In the Midst of a Vast Solitude” sets the tone, daring you to dodge its flattening foot as it emerges from the sea. If you manage to avoid that initial salvo, follow-ups “Insubstantial” and “Perish” will see that you submit. The intensity varies along the way; mid-album highlight “Infinite Sea of Nothingness” and closer “… To the Threshold of Silence” will challenge you to rise to the occasion of their vigor. You might pump out an extra heavy rep, or sew one last patch onto your Vest of Power. But if you are willing to make an unholy bargain with these songs, they will reward you with That Which You Most Desire.

No deal is entirely one-sided. Prostrate yourself at the foot of this album, and you might well notice a few flaws as it swallows your soul. D.T.’s vocals are effective but one-note. Any given measure satisfies, but pile enough of them end-to-end and things get monotonous. The pleasing murkiness of the production, an overall asset, buries some of the musical flourishes that distinguish one song from another. These niggling complaints merely keep Burial Hordes from conquering entire continents instead of the city of their choice; unleash Ruins upon your earholes, and you will require at least a National Guard regiment to rescue you from your own bad choices.

For death metal fans, there’s abundant value to be excavated from these Ruins. Herein lies a cornucopia of Dead Congregation-esque brutality that is well worth exploring; within these catacombs are entombed hints of both the aforementioned Immolation and a more-tuneful Ulcerate. Burial Hordes have been hiding in plain sight, but time and circumstance have conspired to give them their due. Metal’s ability to reward long-serving acts who’ve finally cracked the code is one of the genre’s best quirks. You won’t find a cleaner example of that phenomenon than this album. Get ruined.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: burialhordes.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/BurialHordesOfficial
Releases Worldwide: June 9, 2023