As the frontman of legendary Swedish maniacs Nifelheim, Hellbutcher stands among the most elite figures of the black metal underground, and with his eponymous new band, Hellbutcher, his frenzied mission continues conjuring sounds of pure blasphemy and absolute musical Armageddon. Nothing less than total metal devastation will do!
Following the end of Nifelheim, who played their final show in late 2022, Hellbutcher wasted no time in forging forward. Teaming up with old compadres in evil, guitarists Necrophiliac and Iron Beast, bassist Eld, and drummer Devastator (ex-Nifelheim), Hellbutcher quickly set about bringing their new vision to life. Together, they had quickly amassed enough material to record their raging, hellish, self-titled debut album, set for release on May 31st through Metal Blade Records.
Recording in various locations around Sweden, such as Devastator’s own Red And Black Hall Drum Studio and Iron Beast’s Chrome Studios, and producing and mastering everything themselves – “No need for an outside producer since we knew exactly how our band should sound” – it is a record that stands proud and unambiguous as a work or pure, metallic mayhem.
From the album’s opener, the crazed “The Sword Of Wrath,” Hellbutcher’s intent is loud and clear: Channeling the spirit of Venom, Bathory, Iron Maiden, Exciter, Motörhead, Mercyful Fate, and the aggressive spirit of true heavy metal. It’s an explosion of diabolic evil, performed relentlessly by true masters of the form.
Elaborates Hellbutcher of the band’s latest single, “The title ‘Hordes Of The Horned God’ was inspired by an old Dissection song where Jon [Nödtveidt] mentions ‘my god has horns.’ I crafted the song with an epic yet raw and thrashing feel. The intro riff recurs in various forms, shaping both the chorus and the end of the mid-section of the song. Additionally, our great guitarist, known as Iron Beast, delivers some fantastic guitar solos on this track.”
With an enviable musical pedigree and a killer album to their name, Hellbutcher are certain to scorch a mark onto the black metal scene. “I believe this band has the potential to surpass Nifelheim; we’ve accomplished more in a year than I did in the last decade with Nifelheim,” Hellbutcher states. “The key difference lies in the fact that this band shares a common goal. I am now filled with tremendous inspiration, and I plan to create new songs, records, and gigs at a completely different pace than before.”
Insisting in so many words that posers should die, and promising that their live shows “will be a neck-breaking experience,” the underground is about to be hit with an outbreak of evil unlike anything it has seen for a long time. Time to turn the cross upside down: Hellbutcher is here, and they mean evil business.
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01. The Sword of Wrath 02. Perdition 03. Violent Destruction 04. Hordes of the Horned God 05. Death’s Rider 06. Possessed by the Devil’s Flames 07. Satan’s Power 08. Inferno’s Rage |
Hellbutcher:
Hellbutcher – vocals
Necrophiliac – guitars
Devastator – drums
Eld – bass
Iron Beast – guitars
Photo by Soile Siirtola
