Album Review: Satans Wrath – Galloping Blasphemy

//Album Review: Satans Wrath – Galloping Blasphemy

satans wrath galloping blasphemy review

Galloping Blasphemy came out last year, but we didn’t feel it got as much coverage as it deserved so we sent it over to Alan to give it the album a blast:

SATAN’S WRATH ‘GALLOPING BLASPHEMY’

by Alan Oliver

‘Galloping Blasphemy’ is the debut album from this Greek outfit. Their bio says they play blackened thrash metal plus their black album cover emblazoned with the band’s logo (their name is made up into an inverted cross on fire) was all the encouragement I needed to give it a spin. 

Now Satan’s Wrath pertain to deliver Blackened Thrash and man do they! They have that old school thrash sound right down, but it also has a range to it, using many forms of the thrash spectrum, though you wouldn’t guess this by the opening track ‘Leonard Rising – Night Of The Whip’. It starts with eerie ritual chants and whispered voices which then breaks into a trad heavy metal style riffing. Yes, there is a little hint of thrash further in with a lead guitar section played over the top but this then settles down into the heavy metal riff, combined with prevalent bass throughout. Then they change to a more choppy melody crossover with long drawn out chords. The vocals maintain a constant level of deep gruffness throughout the album which ties it all together. The latter part of the track merges into a repetitive melody with a Slayeresque guitar squeal thrown in. ‘Between Belial And Satan’ starts out with a Doom-like riff complete with tolling bell, then rips into a buzzing fast double guitar riff as old school thrash as you are going to get, complete with chord changing breaks. Minimal vocals on this track but you do get a high end melody played over the top of the track that goes to close it out. 

‘Hail Tritone, Hail Lucifer’ has everything but thrash in the mix. There’s a heavy metal paced riff that has a doomy change down which leads to an early lead guitar solo over the top of the riffing. The centre section has thunder, heavy rain with wailing guitars and a slow picked bass line. This proceeds a slower, heavier drawn out chord sections with both choppy and high end picked combination and a short bass solo to cap that off. 

‘Slaves Of The Inverted cross’ has a more creative intro with a low bass line accompanied by an acoustic guitar playing an almost Twilight Zone type tune with rattling chains for effect. It then goes to kick into a trad fast thrash style of riffing and the now trademark high end guitar solo over the top. This track however plays out to an almost Spanish guitar sounding section, unusual I grant you but strangely not out of place. 

‘Galloping Blasphemy’ offers up a resending chord style thrash riff while ‘Death Possessed’ has repetitive thrashing riffs interspersed with chord change melody breaks. ‘Satans Wrath’ offers up a more staccato riff style with plenty of lead guitar melody with an almost Candlemass-esque slower change in pace and melody. A strange vocal effect, another bass solo and then a White Wizzard sounding piece see the track out.

If you like your old school thrash then you won’t be disappointed. If you like a blackened tint to it then even better, and the dark lyrics round up the package. Besides that the band shows they do have variety and good ideas of how to develop and enhance their music. With so much modern metal claiming it is retro thrash influenced and end up proving anything but, Satan’s Wrath deliver what they set out to achieve. A consistent and impressive debut that has punch as well as diversity within tracks and that, for me, makes this album one that deserves a listen. So put on your sleeveless denim, strap on the spikes, clip on the bullet belt and press play! 8/10

Buy from Metal Blade here.

By |2013-03-30T00:00:00+00:00March 30th, 2013|CD Reviews|0 Comments

About the Author:

Leave A Comment