Album Review: Hell – Human Remains

Hell – Human Remains
Highlights: On Earth As It Is In Hell, The Oppressors, Let The Battle Commence, The Devils Deadly Weapon, The Quest, Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us
Release Date: May 13, 2011

What can one say about a band called “Hell”?  Well, in this case, it’s hard for me to say too much because after one listen to their latest album “Human Remains”, my face is a pile of melted goop on my keyboard.  The opening into of “Overture Themes From Deathsquad” opens this monstrous metal masterpiece with an intro that builds tension and literally has you anticipating what lies over the hill only to descend into “On Earth As It Is In Hell.”  This is what classic metal is all about people.  These guys sound like they just popped into our time from old days of the NWOBHM movement.  It’s old school and classic sounding yet punchy and fresh with a modern accessible twist to it.  It also doesn’t hurt that their guitar player is acclaimed metal producer Andy Sneap.

Song after song this album just slays with pure unadulterated metal as vocalist David Bower leads the pack with a voice that makes Rob Halford look like a total hack.  This guy has “the voice” of that classic British metal and you just can’t help but pump your fist in the air to songs like “Plague and Fyre” that at times seems to be a nod back to classic Merciful Fate.  “Let The Battle Commence” is a total sonic juggernaut of a song and “No Martyrs Cage” has so many subtle dynamics and tempo changes that takes it to epic proportions.

Song after song this band managed to completely melt me down.  The performances are tight and so well orchestrated yet played with fluidity and feeling.  It’s not so shreddy that there’s no emotion to the playing.  The flow of the album plays somewhat like a concept album as each song just bleeds into the other.  This is a really effective effect because it creates a listening experience.  One could probably listen to this album skipping around but you just need to settle in and listen to it song after song to really take in the full experience of this album.

“Human Remains” is a sonic slab of pure heavy metal face melt.  This is the kind of album that all metal heads can listen to and love.  All the elements are there.  Great songs, great musicianship, immaculate production and amazing guitar playing all make up this amazing, soon to be classic release.  This is the kind of album that I would love to put into a time capsule only to be unearthed many many lifetimes from now so that people can pop this in and know that in the year 2011, heavy metal was not only alive and well but that it was still really fucking good.

Discover more from Southeast of Heaven

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading