Vhäldemar – Hell Is on Fire Review

I have a very special relation to this band and one song of them which I consider one of the best that grasps the theme Heavy Metal. I mean “Feelings” from their debut album “Fight to the Enda song that truely expresses what us metalheads and metallers of all this sad and lonely and pathetic planet feel about our beloved genre. Here it goes:

“Sometimes I feel

nothing can help me

Sometomes I need

to break my routine

Someone told me

the only solution

Fill up your life with

Heavy Metal”

So simple, so plain and direct, but still so effective and meaningful. I believe there is nothing better to warm the hearts. Unfortunately, “Hell Is on Fire” has no track that can face “Feelings,” however the album maintain the fine quality the band has built thoroughout the years. Vhäldemar keep the faith in each second of the nine tracks the album offers the fan. The emotion, the power, the speed, the finesse, the hellish beauty, the passion. Hence, everything in the album ia delivered with all the heart and passion the band knows how to. Speed Metal of the best quality even though some may say it’s outdated, more of the same, repetitive, and any other ill. I don’t care. It’s exactly the kind of music that keeps my heart warm at night.

From head to toe, from “My Spirit” to “Damnation’s Here” Vhäldemar take the Metal flame higher and higher performing a ready-to-kill album. “Hell Is on Fire” bounces from the traditional Heavy Metal of “Death to the Wizard” to the Speed Metal of opening track “My Spirit” reaching the Power Metal of “Afterlife.” All of them with the characteristic Vhäldemar spirit of steel. But, there are tracks that scape a little from the usual Vhäldemar’s formula which are “Fear” with swinging and prominent bass lines and an acid guitar riffing. By the way, the chorus is all Vhäldemar’s. No way to deny it. The other track that goes a little far from it is “When It’s All over” a power ballad that puts everything upside down. Vocalist Carlos Escudero does everything he can to keep the raspy voice even in the slowest moments of the song, and we all know difficult this is. An apocalyptic guitar solo bursts by the middle of the song giving it much more emotion.

Yeah, my child of the night, this is the kind of envolviment I mentioned some reviews ago. When the reviewer and the band have a connection, it is much easier to write. The words flow free. No need to rush or to smashing the brain to find the right words to say. Nah, nah, it goes smooth. Very smoothy.

Vhäldemar “Hell Is on Fire” was released on October 06th via Fighter Records.

Track Listing:

  1.  Death To The Wizard!
  2. My Spirit
  3. Afterlife
  4. Straight to Hell
  5. Damnation’s Here
  6. Fear
  7. Hell Is on Fire
  8. Black Mamba
  9. When It’s All Over
  10. Old King’s Visions Part Vi

Watch “Afterlife” official video here:

985