Flame-March Into Firelands

Hells Headbangers
2011


So here it is another typical rainy day in Ohio and I sit down to digest another unholy slab of black thrash from my new friends at Hells Headbangers. March Into Firelands is album number two for this Finland band who formed in 1998. My first impression is that overall this has a raw sound going for it. While the production has more of this analog sound I find it actually works for Flames. After all who what would you expect from a band who sound so much like the eighties? I mean that in a good way my friends. I hear bits of Bathory, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Death, Mayhem, Possessed and other bands I just can't put my finger on. Flames are not going to get a lot of points for originality mind you but at this point in the game it's hard not to hear something that hasn't been done before with any type of metal band. Even if they don't strike you as being new they do strike you as being evil and intense. As I said I liked the fact that the production wasn't all crystal clear. It gave the album this retro feeling. And honestly there is some killer thrash moments throughout the album as well as this twisted sense that the music truly is maniac. Its almost as if they were right and this music is trying to crawl inside of you and possess you. From the sinister vocals to the way the music twists and distorts itself I have to say March Into Flames is a piece of dire and dark art. This one is truly worthy of warped minds friends. Enjoy the madness kids.