Empire of Ash

I guess a testament to the spirit of And Hell followed can be heard on the opening track of their debut LP, 'Empire Of Ash': 'War On Heaven' is not a dark ambient intro, nor some slowly developing wave of violence, but an immediate, abrupt tornado of programmed double kicks and tremolo riffs. A three-piece outfit from Colorado, And Hell Followed is another addition to the rapidly repopularizing black/thrash movement. However, the incorporation of thrash here isn't designed to elicit nostalgia from Hellhammer fans, but to deftly excise any pretense of atmosphere or epic instrumentation from this work. 'Thrash' here isn't a genre, but rather a descriptive term; it's a concise way of referring to music without themes greater than here and now.

Swaggering, cocky riffs alternate with wild-eyed tremolo picking over the perpetual cascade of synthesized drums, while a sardonic war chant echoes overhead, indoctrinating the audience in what else but satan. Nine tracks, thirty minutes, zero attempts at hypothesizing on the role of god and black metal in modern society. Perhaps one could say And Hell Followed is the ultimate old-school, evidenced not by any artificial primitivity on their part but rather a clear and present disregard for melodies palatable to the average consumer. The delightful little sub-three minute burst of 'The Great Old Ones' evidences that, unique through it's utter intention not to be, rather than a sample from some 80s teen sex romp.

And Hell Followed is day-to-day tunes for the extreme metaller: it epitomizes that spirit of transgression through a seemingly casual confluence of instrumentation and (apparent) conviction. 'Empire Of Ash' is an album that slipped from the fingers of these three men, devoid of overanalyzation in an age of Pro Tools abuse. You could discuss things like 'Darkness''s flirting with industrial in greater detail, but to do so would be missing the point of such a release, which is to deliberately not be interpreted as such. Decide now if the idea of extreme black/thrash in a modern style (not for Aura Noir fans, most likely). If you like the idea, purchase it and give it not another thought. This album commands you not to.

'Empire Of Ash' is a very metal album. To paraphrase a fellow reviewer (though he or she was referring to Cryptopsy): And Hell Followed is what people who hate metal hear when someone mentions the genre. Fast, brutal, and totally illogical: the way metal was, is, and always will be to a greater or lesser degree.

(Originally written for www.vampire-magazine.com)