Devil Metal Force

Bonehunter were brought to me because of their previous record Children Of The Atom being shared by a friend of mine. Most things described as black/thrash mixed with punk are gonna grab my interest, but I'll admit that that record in particular did not suck me in. I thought it was more oriented towards the black metal side than anything, and I grew bored with it even in its short runtime. Then I saw that they'd dropped a disc this year, an EP titled Devil Metal Force, and I was pretty much sold after the first track.

What sets this apart from what the band has done prior is that there're dashes of emotion, weirdly. Whenever black/thrash can correctly inject a flavor of melancholy without it sounding awkward, it's usually pretty magnificent. The opener "Devil Power Soldier" does this exceptionally, while still gripping a stripped down thrashy backbone with loads of force. Bonehunter don't stick to this the whole time, as even a short set of chops like this has multiple sides. "Nightmare Angel 2099" steps away from that but leaves behind the melody, and the solo on this one has so much life and sits perfectly alongside everything else's burning atmosphere.

The backside of Devil Metal Force flips all of this over and ups the level of abrasiveness to the max. "Turn Up The Evil" is a fitting title, as the approach is far more direct here and hones in on much harsher energy, reminiscent to a very early Toxic Holocaust song. "O.M.E.K.O." brings us yet another jump in style, and a great one. This song screams rock 'n roll aesthetic with its catchy rhythms and major tones, but the blackened vocals serve it up nicely as a solid black 'n roll piece. A cover of Sacrifice's "Friday Nightmare" closes us off, and seals what proves to be a tremendous deal.

Having four songs (and a cover) that stand completely apart from one another while sharing a similar aesthetic is ultimately how you get a perfect EP. Though I wasn't impressed with Bonehunter's previous full-length, I hope they can channel this energy into one that will blow me away next. Even if that too is littered with tacky song titles.