Devil's Whorehouse

This review first appeared on the Deaf Sparrow Facebook page on 6 June 2016. Written by Stanley Stepanic.

Listen, I like Satan metal. I like cruddy guitars, bass static, and cardboard box drums with torn throat wailing over it. And if you do too but know not where to search, just check out basically everything Hells Headbangers releases and what they carry, done. It's your one-stop shop for all things Satan metal. They clearly have the market cornered on Satan, in metal, but at what cost? Sometimes at the cost of quality I'd say. Why won't anyone else say it? Here's an example.

Do we really need more bands like this? I don't know, to be honest. Truthfully, Brazil's Power From Hell provide a fun listen, and clearly they're doing something right based on their 12K+ likes on Facebook, unless they're bought. Note to self, check how many of their fans are from Indonesia. But it's more likely it's because they sound something like Venom if they were actually worth listening to, ever, but that, then, allows that crap band to still exist. I'd rather they didn't, so apologies for permitting even the name to pass my lips and then hands.

Regardless, this album has all of the sound of classic Satanic metal down. It's practically a timewarp back to Bathory's D&D poster-plastered basement, and for that it succeeds on all levels. The riffing is crude and at times, effective, and the blasphemy is woven into the sound. All of the typical cruddiness I mentioned earlier in this review? Well, there's a Satan on the cover, a nun with taped breasts, and riffs that sort of approximate what it would sound like, so yeah, that's all here. Beyond that, nothing more, but did you expect more? The artwork should make it clear, they rely on classic Satanic thematics and everything recorded through tin foil with solos that sound like they should be on Fail Blog. For that I praise them, but if you were expecting anything beyond mainstream underground Satan, might be a good idea to skip this one. Also good for those of you with a nun costume fetish, so you got that, if it's worth anything.