Hellbringer: Dominion of Darkness (2012)

Here we have another one of those very generous metal bands that have delivered something intangible to us.  Previously we have been brought War, Night and Dawn, among many other things over the years.  This band is perhaps less than generous though as all they have brought us is an eternal torment.  Hopefully their return policy is good or they don't mind re-gifting.

Hellbringer is an Australian band made up of a couple of brothers who were previously in a band called Forgery and did some live shows for Trench Hell, a group with whom I am quite familiar.  Based on that pedigree, I had a pretty decent idea of what I was in for when I picked up this album, and it would appear I was quite correct.  This is fast and dirty blackened thrash metal in the vein of the aforementioned Trench Hell as well as other Aussie groups like Destruktor and the latter work of the venerable Deströyer 666.  The riffs are fast and intense, showing an obvious influence from Venom, Slayer, early Sodom and early Kreator.

I would be lying if I said that this was a completely different take or a brand new sound.  There are of course dozens, if not hundreds, of bands out there that utilize the same influences and have come to the same sound.  But I don't care.  Hellbringer's songs are catchy as hell and I absolutely love listening to this album.  It helps that this particular style is a personal favorite of mine.

What Hellbringer lacks in originality, they make up for in aptitude.  This album is a ton of fun.  There are definitely some killer tracks on here, such as "Bell of the Antichrist" and "The Rites of Evil".  This is yet another in a long line of great blackened thrash from Australia.