[REVIEW] Nunslaughter - Hex

Nunslaughter. If this most unhallowed name rings unfamiliar to your ears, heed these words for when the metal inquisition draws nigh, you shall be without excuse and the strained snapping of your breaking bones upon the unholy rack shall be the last sound you hear, unless you are one of the lucky ones and quickly run through.

Since 1987, these stalwart Satanic metal warriors have waged their campaign against all that is regarded as holy by the mindless thralls that have surrendered their humanity to the imagined whims of an invisible taskmaster. For those within earshot of this Promethean quartet, the message is clear. Free yourself or be crushed as you stand in the path of Nun-fuckin'-slaughter!

"Hex" was unleashed upon the underground just a month ago, but you wouldn't know it by hearing it. Nunslaughter adheres to a solid, time-tested sound and words like "progression", "maturity", or "commercial" will never apply. This is the sound of early Death Metal such as Venom, Death, and Possessed and there are simply no apologies. Remember when riffs were catchy, vocals were steeped in hatred, and the songs weren't bogged down in pretentious musical showmanship? Nunslaughter embodies that bloated carcass of Classic Death Metal (the One True Death Metal) and beckons you to partake in its flesh and drink deeply of it's tainted ichor in blasphemous communion.

With song titles such as "This is Fucking War", "I Hate Christians", and "Smell the Burning Churches" there is no question as to what motivates the band, and with the longest track on the disc clocking in at two and a half minutes, each composition is a swift, venomous blast of hatred that burns out quickly and never simply fades away. Also, as Nunslaughter was in the process of forging these unholy hymns, all weakness and other unnecessary elements were stripped away leaving "Hex" with a total running time of just 30 minutes; a finely tuned instrument of torture.

The packaging for this disc is also true workmanship. The 24 page booklet printed on heavy stock is filled with atmospheric photography, full lyrics, and band photos. Though my only complaint is the lack of a hand-drawn cover as in ancient times passed, the impaled effigy bathed in candlelight on the cover is most certainly evocative and not ruined by Photoshop filter-fuckery as most modern releases are plagued by. Highly Recommended.

Do yourself a favor and BUY this album. Don't be a fucking moron and just download the MP3s. Give the Devil His due.