The Rise of Satanic Might

The career of Cruel Force in keywords: very good debut, phenomenal successor, game over. I really hate the fact that "Under the Sign of the Moon" remained the last sign of life of this promising formation. However, "The Rise of Satanic Might" is the topic of this review. Obviously, the album suffers from a slightly ridiculous cover. What does the devil do at the top of the mountains? Already back in 1989, the Japanese combat unit Sabbat knew that "The Devil's Sperm Is Cold", but I guess he will just get a bad cold. Yet we have better things to do than to speculate about the state of health of Mister Satan.

The edition of Heavy Forces delivers a lot of nice gimmicks; white vinyl, printed inner sleeve, a sticker and an enormous poster. Only the music does not deliver a lot of unexpected features. To avoid misunderstandings, Cruel Force have penned a strong black thrash metal album. Guitarist Teutonic Slaughter, their only songwriter, does not run out of puff. It is no secret that the band needs a Bathory cover to break the 30 minutes mark, but the crucial fact is that each and every of Teutonic Slaughter's compositions is solidly designed. The Germans are inspired by Quorthon's early works and do not reinvent the wheel, but one has to keep in mind that they play black thrash. This bastard genre has never put the focus on innovation. Of greater relevance is the fact that Cruel Force channel their energy successfully. The inexorability of the riffs goes hand in hand with the mainly fast rhythms and the raw vocals add their part as well. Straightness and compactness form the songs, but their directness does not preclude some fine solos. The restless and comparatively long "Victim of Hellfire" comes to my mind in this context. By the way, this title indicates the very sensitive poetry of the lyrics. For example, "Queen of Heresy" deals with a woman called Elizabeth Bathory, never heard of that lady... The case is clear, this lyrical approach is not very original. Nevertheless, blackened thrash asks for this type of texts. As a side note: the lyrics of the dark closer ("March For the Pentagram") differ from that of "Leather and Metal", although the flawed inner sleeve says something different.

"The Rise of the Satanic Might" reflects the tradition-conscious mentality of its creators. It has no experimental touch, but it flexes its muscles several times. "Deathstrike" marks the climax of the album. The fast opener of the B side scores with its irresistible leads and the minimalist chorus, while the first song of the A side starts with majestic lines and beats, before it turns out to be another speed attack. Too bad that it holds the only mediocre solo of the album. Its squeaking guitar does not match the fundamental darkness of the sound. Be that as it may, the following "Satanic Might" is free from any signs of weakness. Belligerent riffs, effective drum rolls and the rebellious voice shape a great piece. Anyway, as mentioned above, there are no throwaway tracks on this debut, although "Leather and Metal" is almost painfully primitive.

A certain primitiveness also characterises the sound of the album. The rumbling double bass and the sometimes non-existent bass guitar have the power to drive sound fetishists crazy. Yet only ignorant cretins would call this mix ill-defined. It goes without saying that the here presented style is prone to seedy, more or less dirty productions that convey this specific old school feeling. I do not want to listen to clinical numbers that lack of sulphur and I am sure that the guys of Aura Noir or Nifelheim share my opinion. With that said, the mix of "The Rise of Satanic Might" is no problem at all, at least from my point of view. Quite the opposite, it shows that the formation has set the right priorities. Sharp riffs beat glamorous sounds - and I like it. Thus, let me summarize this review in keyboards: honest black thrash metal with an appropriate sound.