Battlestorm - Summon Decimation
Singapore
Trauma Records
"Summon Decimation" is the second album from Singapore's Battlestorm and their first proper full-length since 2010's "Demonic Incursion." Although it took the band a while to record a new album, Hades has been busy with a number of other projects, such as Nocturnized, Lycanthropic, Devouror and more recently, Tartarean Vengeance.
From the get-go, the music violently erupts with nine tracks of incendiary death/thrash that never lets up. The songs on this album show serious compositional depth, as each track features a series of stabbing riffs, bellowing vocals and a barrage of offensive drums that incessantly pummel the listener with unrelenting fury. The hulky riffs give the songs an intense feel, while the drums are comparable to a machine gun, firing continuously for forty minutes straight.
Battlestorm draws some similarities to compatriots Infernal Execrator, but while the former is stylistically closer to black metal, Battlestorm leans more towards death/thrash. References to be made include ‘80s Sepultura, Angelcorpse and of course the mighty Impiety. Essentially, they play a militant mix of black, death and thrash that’s more lethal than mustard gas. They also incorporate melodies which emphasize the hellish feel of the music, including razor-sharp leads that add significant depth to the compositions. I believe the artwork by Jenglot Hitam perfectly captures the essence of the music and gives an excellent visual representation of what to expect from this album.
In addition to the explosion of speedy drums and scorching guitar riffs, the music sporadically switches to thrashy mid-tempo parts before the intensity kicks into full gear again. There are enough tempo variations in the songs to keep things interesting, as each transition feels natural and masterfully executed. In my opinion, the production is a little thin, although it does manage to give the guitars a sharp, biting sound. I think with a more powerful production and a better mix, the band could be destined for greatness. The whole release is brutal as hell, and I think the influence of fellow countrymen Abhorer and Impiety shows. I’m starting to think that maybe there’s an extremity contest in Singapore and that to play softer would be considered an act of treason among their peers. Ha!
Overall, “Summon Decimation” is a solid piece of work that slaps just as hard as anything the band has done in the past, and I simply can't recommend it enough if you’re a fan of the Southeast Asian scene with bands like Infernal Execrator, Impiety, Zygoatsis and the like. Stand-out tracks: “Exaltation of the Fallen”, “Qhagan”, “Subterranean Titan: The Cataclysmic Abhorer" (Jim)