Hells Headbangers

Abhomine – Larve Offal Swine Review

By Al Kikuras on April 23, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Uncategorized, Black Metal, Death Metal, 28 comments

“Pete Helmkamp’s varied projects over the years have one special unifying quality: there is something unsettling about them all that transcends music and hits the core of your being, reminding you that the world is an immaculately fucked up place and our tenure on it is tentative at best. Larvae Offal Swine, the debut album under the moniker Abhomine, is Helmkamp’s first true solo effort in which he wrote and performed all of the music with the exception of the drums. How does this nigh legendary extreme metal front man stand when on his own?” Offal before swine?

Embalmer – Emanations from the Crypt Review

By Al Kikuras on March 26, 2016 in 2016, 4.0, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Hells Headbangers Records, Death Metal, 37 comments

“The most lauded element of Ohio gorehounds Embalmer’s past work was the deranged voice of former vocalist Rick Fleming. As cited on their Wikipedia page (clearly written by someone close to if not in the band), “In 2013 the band parted ways with vocalist Rick Fleming, who subsequently robbed the band of the remainder of the band fund before going into hiding.” Under the “Former members” section he is listed as “Dick Fleming.” Not likely a typo. Ahhhh, Wikirevenge!” Wikirevenge is a dish best served with embalming fluid and sauteed tomatoes.

Goat Semen – Ego Svm Satana Review

By Madam X on February 25, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Grind, Hells Headbangers Records, Peruvian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, 18 comments

“What can I say, sometimes you just have to grab promo because it’s obnoxious and crude and sounds like a wacky way to ride out the week. Native to Peru, an area that offers as varied a range of metal as the biodiversity of the country itself, Goat Semen are delivering their debut full-length release.” What can we say, Madam X loves animals.

High Spirits – You Are Here Review

By JF Williams on May 9, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 4 comments

“Running searches on the vast database that is the Metal Archives can be a fascinating – and sometimes hilarious – way of looking at the genre at a whole. For example, filtering for “lyrical themes”, unsurprisingly, finds that “nihilism” and “national socialism” trump out “rock”, “rocking” and “fun” in the heavy metal thematic lexicon. We sure are a cynical bunch, aren’t we? I’d like to think that Chicago-based traditional metal champion Chris Black (fellow music journalist and leader of a number of lauded traditional heavy metal groups such as Dawnbringer and Pharaoh, both of which I’ve unfortunately managed to neglect) himself went on a sojourn into these nether reaches of the Archives and decided that enough was enough. Black clearly has no time for modern metal cynicism, and his one-man throwback project High Spirits, with lyrical themes tagged in the Archives with “rocking” and “being in high spirits,” is about as light-hearted and easily palatable as modern metal gets.” Chris Black continues to be the new black in the world of throwback metal.

Shitfucker – Suck Cocks In Hell Review

By Jordan Campbell on November 3, 2013 in 2013, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 3 comments

“On the surface, there’s a lot to hate about Shitfucker. The hacky, try hard Vice interview that introduced them to the world didn’t do them any favors. Neither did their stylized swastika logo, nor the fact that their moniker is reminiscent of the nickname I gave to my third grade bus driver. Combine these elements with the comically lo-fi crap-stomp of lead single “Sex Dungeon,” and this band was easy to hate: A group of low-talent, low-class scum-fucks looking to capitalize on a strange metallic affinity for sleaze that rarely reconciles with the listener’s world view. Red flags were everywhere. I mean, how could an album called Suck Cocks In Hell be construed as anything other than cheap gimmickry?” How indeed?? Watch as Jordan Campbell somehow makes sense of this senseless abomination.

Zemial – Nykta Review

By Grymm on November 1, 2013 in 2013, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 1 comment

“Papa Grymm once told me, when I was just a wee little kvlt tyke, “Son, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Also, clean your room. You’re an embarrassment to the Inner Circle.” Archon Vorskaath, mastermind behind the amorphous Greco-German black metal machine Zemial, is the posterchild of the DIY ethos, recording and performing all vocals, instruments, and sound effects, as well as releasing 2006’s In Monumentum, all by his own not-so-little lonesome over the last 20 plus-years, spawning two albums and handful of EPs. Vorskaath’s visionary trek continues with Nykta, Zemial’s third full-length and first for Hells Headbangers Records.” Ah, Greek black metal. So Spartan, so evil. It certainly seems to take Grymm back to his kvlt childhood.

Impiety – The Impious Crusade Review

By Happy Metal Guy on August 11, 2013 in 2.5, 2013, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 0 comments

“Oh, look: Yet another short release from quasi-Singaporean blackened death metal squad Impiety. In fact, it’s their sixth EP. Happy Metal Guy doesn’t know if these goat-obsessed militants are just too darned impatient to accumulate enough material to release as full-length albums or overly-attention-seeking dudes who can’t stand not having people talking about and spreading their music around on social media platforms every half a year or so.” Happy Metal Guy tangles with Impiety and their artwork once again. The safe money is on Impiety.

Front Beast – Demon Ways of Sorcery Review

By Madam X on August 7, 2013 in 2.0, 2013, Black Metal, German Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 12 comments

“When a band intimates that their album has the charm and atmosphere of a dark, damp dungeon and that it’s packed with bone-dry, ardent, miserable vocals reminiscent of Aske era Burzum it’s begging to get picked off the promo pile. German band Front Beast, signed to Hells Headbangers and led by sole member Evil Avenger, whetted my appetite with just such an oath on their second full length release Demon Ways of Sorcery. It looks like the Evil Avenger has been stumbling along spreading misery and Satan’s message over 24 split releases, EPs and demos, 1 compilation and 1 previous album released back in 2006 and judging by this back-history he’s not giving up on his mission any time soon…” Madam X takes on the supposedly dungeon-ready black metal rattle of Front Beast. Remember, a beast in the front is better than two behind. No…wait.

Cerekloth – In the Midst of Life We are in Death Review

By Madam X on July 12, 2013 in 2013, 4.5, Danish Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Rating, Releases, Retro Reviews, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 2 comments

“Edvard Munch’s series of paintings, The Scream, has long held a fascination for me, from Munch’s depiction of the blood red sky to the raw emotion and suffering in the screamers eyes, as images they’re almost stifling to look at. Cerekloth have taken The Scream a step further. They’ve intensified the colors, honed in on the screamer, they’ve given you a passage into where this torture is coming from and they’ve added a bone chilling soundtrack – life meets art? Bursting onto the scene back in 2008 after putting blackened death outfit Church Bizarre temporarily on ice, the release of the debut EP Pandemonium Prayers saw Cerekloth added to Hells Headbangers for the release of a demo and an additional EP Halo of Syringes. And now a full 5 years later, Denmark based Cerekloth return with the Reaper in toe driving it home that death is a part of life, putting death and darkness back into death metal with In the Midst of Life We are in Death. Color me embarrassed for letting this devastating collaboration of aggression and chilling sensations slip through the cracks and go unnoticed!” Madam X gets extra dark and scary as she examines the painful and tortured death metal of Cerekloth. You wouldn’t like her when she’s super scary!