Album Review: Blood Oath – Infernum Rex Diabolus (Self Released)

In their own words Blood Oath are:

Catchy old school death metal drenched in the (fake) blood of their enemies…

Since forming in 2015 Blood Oath have triumphed on their travels of the United Kingdom playing to huge audiences at Bloodstock Open Air, Uprising and HRH Metal. Their journey took them to Bucharest in Romania to play Metalheads Meeting Festival with the likes of Kataklysm, Soulfly, Children Of Bodom and much more.

To the accidental tourist they are a prowling venomous warrior daubed in war paint barking orders at a blood-soaked band, assaulting the ears with the sound of a rusty train crashing into a Viking horde. To the discerning death metal fan however they are the face ripping gurn of the riff, the chanting call to arms and the urge to start a sweat soaked pit.

The Leicester five-piece are back and ready to unleash their latest fables of death, war & conquer. Blood Oath’s latest offering, their second full-length album ‘Infernum Rex Diabolus’ will be 9 tracks of pure brutal old school death metal. Released on the 2nd November 2019.

Blood Oath are exactly what they say they are. A brutal old school death metal band with all the might and fury of what that entails. From savagery dealt out like cards at a poker table to depth filled horrors ripped straight from a disturbed mind to the weight of a slab of granite dropping on heads, this is an experience that doesn’t so much defy expectations as rise up to meet them and then smash them into oblivion.

Often when someone describes a release as being ‘old-school black metal’ it conjures up a sound. One that’s raw and feral, nasty and visceral and angry as fuck. This does apply to Blood Oath’s Infernum Rex Diabolus but their approach is one that is more based in rhythm. You can hear everything that Blood Oath have put into this album and it’s far better for it.

They’ve clearly made a conscious effort to try and stand out from the pack with their second album and it works. Angels to Some, Demons to Others coming out like a wrecking ball from the very start knocking everyone out of the way like they’re bowling pins. Entwined and Undivine much later hammeing the riffs hard, backed up with an intense and focused vocal effort. If there is one track that gets you head-banging, chances are it’s this.

However the absolute cream of the album is Infernum Diabolus. A momentous effort from Blood Oath that bursts with energetic flames and fiery metal. It’s outstandingly heavy but with so much groove to the riffs it’s nigh impossible to stop yourself from nodding along.

Although it’s the likes of Monuments to Our Ruin and Solitude and Silence that confirms what should be obvious by this stage. Blood Oath have released a beast of a record.

Blood Oath – Infernum Rex Diabolus Full Track Listing:

1. Angels To Some… Demons To Others
2. Obliteration Ov Mankind
3. Infernum Diabolus
4. Lycanthropic Bloodlust
5.Monuments To Our Ruin
6. Born Godless
7. The Howling Of The Draugr
8. Entwined And Un-Divine
9. Solitude And The Silence

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