Satan’s Wrath – Die Evil Review

I know there are many fans that take issue with the continued use of satanic imagery and lyrical themes in metal. They find it juvenile, silly, played out, and lacking in the shock value it once had. This is understandable, as I imagine a significant number, if not the majority, of metal fans are atheists and, consequently, don’t believe in Satan any more than they believe in Yaweh, Allah or Vishnu. Myself, I don’t believe in Old Scratch, but, nonetheless, I like a little Satan in my metal; I find it comforting. Much like a blues song about a two-timing woman or a country song about ruining your life with booze, a metal song about Satan is a tradition. A Satan-embracing metal band also makes me feel secure in the fact that they aren’t going to screw me over. Destroyer 666, for instance, is probably never going to add a keyboard player and make a goth album, nor would I expect Midnight to suddenly decide it needs some lute solos to really bring its music to the next level. And so it is with Satan’s Wrath and its latest album, Die Evil: I knew what to expect before I even pushed play, namely, black/thrash, Satan, and precious little fucking around.

In a short but prolific career- Die Evil is the group’s third album in two and a half years – Satan’s Wrath has become quite a reliable purveyor of quality 80s extreme metal worship: the punk-ish bashing in “Satanic War” recalls early Bathory, “Die Evil” brings some brutal Slayer riffs, “Coffinlust” is steeped in Venom’s malevolent sleaze and there’s even a little Candlemass in “Dead of the Shallow Graves.” Obviously there’s nothing new here, and there probably never will be, but the riffs are generally good to great, and it’s all performed with the spirit of people who live for this shit.

Die Evil seems to continue the shift away from the less frantic, more tuneful material on the group’s debut, Galloping Blasphemy, toward faster, more aggressive work. There’s less galloping and more thrashing. This results in the band’s shortest record to date, at a Reign In Blood-esque 31 minutes. The change is not particularly dramatic, as thrash has always been a major element of the band’s sound, but it is notable. The shift is more than likely a natural result of the band’s evolution from a duo to a five-piece, fully functioning live act. I certainly don’t count this evolution in sound as a knock against Die Evil, but I do miss the strong Mercyful Fate influence that ran through the debut and, to a lesser extent, the second album.

With its brisk pace of output, Satan’s Wrath runs the risk of overexposure, but the shine hasn’t quite worn off yet. Overall, Die Evil is a success, because Satan’s Wrath sticks to a winning formula and executes it with conviction. Hail Satan.

Posted by Jeremy Morse

Riffs or GTFO.

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