Album Review: HELL:ON – Shaman (Archivist Records)

HELL:ON, Ukraine’s leading Atmospheric Death Metal band, will release their seventh full-length album, Shaman, on May 17th, 2024, via Archivist Records.

HELL:ON was formed in early 2005 in Zaporizhzhia, Eastern Ukraine and they play death metal with added oriental and tribal elements. The band’s lyrics generally deal with mysticism, philosophy, and anti-religion. During the recordings of previous albums, the band has worked with Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Jeff Waters (Annihilator), Andy LaRocque (King Diamond), and Marek Pajak (Vader). In 2019, the band was nominated as the Best Ukrainian Metal Act and has shared the stage with Rotting Christ, Kreator, Marduk, Napalm Death and many more.

With nearly 20 years of experience, 6 full lengths, a split, a compilation multiple singles and 2 EPs, HELL:ON have been round the block and come with a vast amount of experience leading into Shaman. In a troubled time, where everything seems to be changing around us daily, HELL:ON are not looking to change their style up this time around, offering us a little bit of consistency sorely lacking in day to day lives. They still have the same line up since 2009, and they are still looking to deliver some kick ass death metal, with a ton of atmosphere through tribal and oriental elements.

HELL:ON is Olexandr Bayev on vocals, Hellion and Anton Vorozhtsov on guitars, Leshiy on drums and Slayer on bass.

Speaking about the chaos of living in Ukraine in modern times, and still trying to operate as a band, HELL:ON state:

“This album had to be released two years ago, but a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has put our entire life on hold. Nowadays, due to our Armed Forces, we try to go on living and creating. I am sure that the spirit of this struggle was reflected in this work. It is hidden somewhere among the strings of the guitars, in the echoes of shamanic tribal vocals and flashes of ritual fires.”

Shaman comes with 8 tracks on it getting underway with What Steppes Dream About. It’s an interesting start with a little atmospherics before turning into a blackened riffing monster. Punchy drums, crunchy riffs, deep, growled vocals – it’s heavy and very listenable. As the song grows, some of the components of difference from HELL:ON start to take shape and it’s really interesting and exciting. Ringing guitars give off an Eastern vibe, moments of hard groove with catchy as hell tribal drum beats and then throat singing as backing behind the shouts. I would say this is a combination of elements I haven’t really come across much, if ever, so it takes a moment to really tune in to it all but it’s really good, really listenable and creative.

This cauldron of chaos is really where HELL:ON reside and Shaman is such a fine example of what they do. At their heart, at their foundation, each track on Shaman is a death metal song. Sometimes blackened, sometimes melodic, but always death metal. That is the core, then, the songs are twisted and transformed with these additional components to add spice, variety and a little bit of themselves into the genre and it’s really admirable.

When The Wild Wind and The Soul of Fire Meet, as well as being a mouthful of a track title is another banger. Groove, heaviness, brutality, blast beats and riffs all combine with the dark and vicious vocals to make you want to mosh and bang your head. Within that though, spoken word, tribal shouts, ringing melody and tribal beats create atmosphere, add to the flow and certainly make you pay attention.

Tearing Winds of Innerself is a ripper of a track that sees them reach ridiculous levels of speed and brutality. Those drums and bass deliver speed and intensity, yet still pull everything back to a chorus that is harsh but catchy as hell. Screaming leads join the carnage and there is a fiery little solo that you will fall in love with before a second solo later adds a touch more melody and allows you time to catch your breath. I love this song.

Preparation for the Ritual keeps the mix coming in even more epic fashion. This quality music, delivered in a foray of heavy as hell metal. The riffs are fire and drums again are killing it. The sudden burst of Eastern guitars shakes things up further as the song moves into a fast and heavy verse with brutal vocals, pounding drums but that Eastern guitar twang. It descends further, dropping the guitars back for a meaty riffing verse. It evolves through different phases, mixing vocals, bringing and then dropping the guitars, adding more leads, changing the drum patterns up – just a constantly evolving beast with a strong chorus.

Lead guitars take over for a bit, banging out a punchy solo that starts off standard but transforms into that Eastern style all backed by pounding drums and bass slams. Add in some more throat singing, huge death metal sections of riffs and drums and a big grooving stompy section to end and you have another top notch song.

He with the Horse’s Head and A New Dawn are our next two tracks and the extremely high standard is not dropping even for a second. The former being a 5 and half minute track means plenty of time to chuck everything but the kitchen sink into the mix. What can I say that I haven’t already? It’s really good. Oriental guitars and catchy beats lead us in, then it turns into a punchy traditional death metal sound with big drums, bigger riffs and roared vocals. Pinches and squeals from the lead guitar add little shocks in and there is a ton of clever soloing dappled over the track that seems to follow a pattern of being predominantly instrumental with short bursts of vocals. The latter is another 5 minute plus track but focuses more on speed and intensity, especially in it’s opening phases.

Fast in terms of drums, riffs and vocal delivery – it’s a very heavy track that feels a little more straight up, in your face death metal. After a non stop face melting assault for the first half of the track, HELL:ON allow us time to breath as we move into catchy groove territory. Just try not headbanging to that section when you hit it – it’s fire – and transitions into a mammoth solo that is up there with the best I have heard in recent times. Wanting to make sure we don’t rest for too long, we then get a final 30 seconds ferociously blasted at us to close another huge track out.

I Am the Path then turns direction and goes heavy on the Eastern/Oriental vibe from the off. Catchy drums, and bass make the foundation as the guitars twang away. We drop down to more standard riffing for the early passages of the verses before it all combines back together for a full and chaotic sound. The beats are catchy as hell though and it’s really intriguing to your ears picking apart the combination of styles. Strong soloing, backing vocals and tribal beats mix things up, all while the vocals are bellowed out with fervour and force. Hearing these transitions from Oriental melody into a totally recognisable death metal riff, then into a tribal beat then into a solo – it’s really something else.

We close out Shaman, sadly, with the title track. Catchy drums and riffs start the song off with a little atmospherics in the background. It drops down to a morose melody and gentle cymbal tap and you feel like something is brewing but they throw me a curveball. I was expecting an explosion, but they keep the tempo down, they keep it dark and heavy with deeper tones and loads of bass in a slow headbanger of a start. Little stops seem to add to the dark vibe and a very quirky but interesting solo separates the song’s halves.

While the second half of the song keeps that low toned, dark and intense feel – almost a little Rotting Christ in style – the drums and riffs pick up massively. Backing vocals add more atmosphere and the lead guitar becomes more active though the fade out seems to last for two of the seven minutes as the instrumentation gently drops away. It’s a very accomplished song but probably my least favourite on the album. It’s still very good, I just found more enjoyment in the pacier tracks personally while still liking this one a lot.

Death Metal, but not as we know it, HELL:ON  deliver a masterclass in metal with Shaman. An album that oozes intensity, creativity and excitement. A mix of styles and ideas coming together in well written songs to create a mesmerising sound. Music you can mosh to, headbang to and let loose to but also music that will make you question the norms, drop your jaw and pay attention. HELL:ON are clearly a band of much skill and ability and this is them at the very top of their game, delivering an album that deserves huge respect, can cross genre boundaries while keeping the traditional death metal fan more than satisfied. Shaman is a masterful release that should be competing for high spots in everyone’s end of year lists.

Don’t miss out on this when it drops on the 17th of May – preorder it now from Bandcamp, here.

HELL:ON Links

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