Wulfskol Hexella - Burn With Us Review

Here we’ve got one more cool split album. I really don’t know why they are getting frigging common these days. Interestingly, this split album is simply named “Burn With Us” and there is no track order whatsoever for the bands. I mean, there is a track 01 for both Wulfskol and Hexella. It took me one listen to get to know that despite the sonic differences of the bands. The LP tradition is really back as we can see. Also, both bands have their sonancies deeply rooted in the 1980s Extreme music with both having strong Punk and Hardcore influences. Those influences go to the overtones selections as both sound a little rough and raw. Other difference between the bands is the English spoken Wulfskol and the mixed Spanish and English spoken Hexella. Both bands deliver cool covers as Slayer’s “Evil Has No Boundaries” and Bathory’s “You Don’t Move Me (I Don’t Give a Fuck)” both powerhouses of energy. Songs I doubt any metalhead would remain stand. As a coincidence or not – I don’t believe in coincidences – all the split albums I’ve reviewed here had roots in 1980s Extreme music. “Burn With Us” has 10 tracks equally divided 50/50 to each band. This information might sound redundant or useless but I’ve got albums where the split was not that equal. Don’t ask me why.

“Burn With Us” is opened up with “Deliver Us to Evil” where Wulfskol show everything they’ve got and that’s an energetic 1980’s Death Metal oriented deeply rooted in the 1980s. I may as well say pre-Death Metal oriented because there are lots 1980’s Extreme Metal traits in the song and the other tracks as the bands adds some Hardcore and Punk influences to their dough. It seems to me that Wulfskol bounce to be more technically proficient and to show all the energy they’ve got. It’s an outcome of the Motörhead meet The Misfits corrupted by the likes of Samhain, Bathory, Venom and Possessed to name a few as they say in the press release. The same hard choice many of the bands they quote used to do. Then comes “Midnight’s on Fire” which is Hexella’s album warming. Here the Hardcore and Punk dough received more ferment to naturally grow into an energetic and full of rage mix. Here Hexella don’t have the same questioning as Wulfskol and deliver the best instrumental possible. As a pro to both bands I really liked the guitars’ overtones. Bathory’s “You Don’t Move Me (I Don’t Give a Fuck)” got cleaner (?1?) with Hexella and even more Motörhead inspired than the original. Slayer’s “Evil Has No Boundaries” got a very faithful cover by Wulfskol maintaining the original power and glory. After all it’s Slayer and we all have to respect that.