By the Hands of the Devil

One may say that Satan's Host is one of those 80's bands that have found a resurgence in the new millennium, sometimes even finding the due recognition they didn't receive back then. Well, yes and no. In one way, the return of Satan's Host with original vocalist Harry Conklin has gained the attention of the metal world, because of the cult status of their 1986 album, Metal From Hell. However, as the band as a whole is concerned, it is not actually a complete “return” for them. Long story short, Satan's Host was the band Harry Conklin joined after Jag Panzer's first break up. After the “Midnight Wind” EP in 1987, Harry went on to found Titan Force, and Satan's Host went on a very long hiatus.

They actually came back in 2000 with a new vocalist, and a very different musical approach. From the classic metal band it was, Satan's Host transformed into a black metal band, releasing five albums and a live DVD from 2000 to 2010. So, the comeback was actually more than ten years ago. However, the band stayed in the underground black metal scene in the USA, probably distancing some of the classic metal crowd with their new sound. Honestly, I have heard very little from this lineup, but the little I have listened to sounds like some very macabre and decent black metal (I am not a big fan of black metal, but I can appreciate it).

In any case, the recent excitement about Satan's Host is that in 2011 Harry Conklin came back after Jag Panzer's recent break up. It is not uncommon nowadays for a classic, underground band to resurface in the digital age and sound just as amazing as they did before. But in this case, the story is different: they actually sound better than before. And that is what brings us to “By The Hands Of The Devil”, the first album with this lineup. One could have expected them to just go back to the classic “true” metal style that has become more prevalent in the past decade, and that could have been cool. However, they could not deny their black metal resurgence, so one would think there is an impasse. On the one hand you got a band that has been playing black metal for the past ten plus years, and on the other hand one of the most memorable and beloved vocalists of the heavy metal/power metal world. So, what do they decide to do? Of course...mix power metal with black metal, duh!

What?!

Yes, if we are fixated with putting names on things, the best description for what you hear in this album is just that: blackened power metal. You may ask: is that even possible?! Well, don't ask me and listen.

By the time I am writing this review, so much has already been said about this album, some hailing it as THE best release of 2011. I can't say for sure, I didn't really listen to many things from that year, but it doesn't seem implausible to me.

What we got here, as I said, is a sort of hybrid between power metal and black metal. You got the constant barrage of blackened drums assaulting your ears, but you also got a sensitivity for lead guitar work, some progressive elements in terms of song structure and progression, and killer, clean solos. One minute you got the black metal blast (along with a classic high pitch scream), and the next you got the mid paced lead guitar work, then it punches you in the face again with fast tempos...its great.

While it is not completely unheard of to mix heavy metal sensibilities and pure black metal destruction, there is something to be said about what is going on here. Off the top of my mind I can think of the band “I”, which is a side project of Abbath, Immortal's vocalist, which in many aspects was a hybrid sound. From a more speed/power side, I think of Seven Kingdom's first album, which had thrashy and power metal lines connecting very well with extreme vocalization, and one song on that album is a take on the possibility of marrying power/speed with black metal (the song “Winter Comes”). But, what we got in “By The Hands Of The Devil” is not the innovation of thinking about the concept...but executing it flawlessly.

The songs in this album are constantly testing your ears and pulling your attention to it. Every song has its own personality and evolution, but with this I don't mean inconsistency. On the contrary, every song feels like the logical next step of what this sound can bring to the table. That's what makes it so special: it sounds like the most successful scientific experiment you have witnessed. It can't be said enough: after this I cannot wait for what they are going to bring us next.

All of this and I haven't even talked about the vocals. I could say: well, what you'd expect from Harry Conklin Yeah...but its still an understatement. Conklin is one of the best and most dynamic true metal vocalists, and his appearance on this album forms a part of the whole. He does high pitched metal screams, and sometimes shows how well he can do the demonic, black metal growl, when needed and when it works in favor of the song. His vocals are spot on, right up there with the best he has done with Panzer, and they are of the top distinctive elements of what this album offers.

As for the lyrics, they haven't changed much from the 80s. Satan worship at its cheesiest and finest, and great to sing along, even if you happen to not be in a satanic ritual at the time, and just waiting to catch the next train. I have to mention though, that as a bonus track they did a version of The Beatles' song “Norwegian Wood”, with appropriate satanic lyrics, which I just found hilarious. Its definitely a metal version, buy just imagining the original mellow version, but with these lyrics, is the icing on an already artery-clogging cake.

As a side note, I originally thought that in a live set, they wouldn't play much of their arsenal from the black metal period. However, I was dead wrong. I learned that they released a 25 anniversary compilation album called Celebration: For The Love Of Satan, which includes two new songs and re-recorded versions of old songs, from the Metal From Hell period and the black metal period. For most people who have never listened to their black metal material, hearing them now (and with Harry on vocals) can almost feel like a follow up album to “By The Hands Of The Devil”, so definitely check it out. In many ways they are making this sound even more concrete, so that is definitely another gem and great companion to the album reviewed here.

Favorite songs: Before The Flame, Demontia, Revival, Fallen Angel

Honorable mention: Black Hilted Knife, Norwegian Wood

Originally reviewed for METALURGIA (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Metalurgia-Radio-Huelga/213957288624946?fref=ts)

Having gone through various phases during its lengthy career, from the classic heavy metal of late 80s to the blackened death metal of late 2000s, Satan’s Host is now back with the original singer from Metal from Hell era, namely Harry Conkling. The result on By the Hands of the Devil is something like a mix of the two previous approaches, combining the darkness and Satanism of black metal and heaviness of death metal with Conkling’s clean heavy/power metal vocals.

And quite an interesting and successful combo it is. There are few bands who truly interest me in the field of power metal singing, but when it’s mixed with the utterly dark instrumentation and atmosphere, it all works. The eponymoys ”By the Hands of the Devil” makes sure of this already with its adventurous song progressions and epic chorus. Other noteworthy mentions of the album’s first half are ”Demontia” and the interlude-of-sorts ”Bleeding Hearts of the Damned”, the latter being a hypnotic, ritualistic and beautiful wandering amidst clean guitars and tom drums. I’m not able to spot as good tracks on the second half, but The Beatles cover ”Norwegian Wood” is a little surprise there, being an upbeat and folkish piece with church burning lyrics. I drank of the blood, Dark Lord Satan...

With a modern and in-your-face clean production, and an overdose of rather clinical and unnecessarily precise blast beats, By the Hands of the Devil might not have the charm of the scruffy Metal from Hell that I personally really like, but this album is clearly a well-thought whole that maybe runs for a little too long, but comprises some quite damn good compositions nonetheless. This could turn into a vital record for some of those who merely enjoy the most extreme of metals and despise classic high-pitched clean singing, because his/her opinion might just change after hearing By the Hands of the Devil. The album has been in relatively frequent rotation and will continue to do so - a sign of a good record.

3 / 5
[ http://www.vehementconjuration.com/ ]

Let me start by saying with complete sincerity that this is the best album ever made. Ever. By any band of any genre. Ever.

Prior to hearing this album, I was unaware of the band's existence. I was already a fan of Jag Panzer, and when this album came out last year with Harry Conklin on vocals, I got it from my friend and it changed my life.

For those of you familiar with other works by the band, this album marks a departure from the growling vocals more associated with black metal and a return to more power metal vocals like those on their debut album, Metal from Hell. After hearing this album, I listened to much more of the bands discography, and though all of it is extremely awesome, I have heard no musical creation by any human being that can rival this album.

This album is a masterful concoction of metal sub-genres. The instrumentals are very black metal- influenced, but have an epicness that couples preposterously well with Harry Conklin's godly voice. Every instrument in the mix does nothing but churn out sheer badassery. The drums blast like Lucifer firing a machine gun, the guitars shred upon masterfully woven riffs that will become glued to your DNA, and the vocals gather everything up and project it into something heavy, something evil, something masterful, and downright amazing. If you like thrash metal, black metal, power metal, or anything relevant to those genres, then this album should blow your mind.

The highlights of the album? The entire thing! Every track is so grand, that if I was not such a devout atheist I would swear that there had to be some sort of Satanic intervention. I challenge anyone to try and listen to this album without headbanging, and after hearing it enough to learn it, not be compelled to sing along. Even the Beatles cover at the end that I was at first hesitant to listen to kicks ass!

Hands down, this was the best release of 2011, and that is saying something considering how many great albums were released. I show this album to every metalhead that I meet, for it has possessed me to do so. Get this album and listen to it, maybe for the rest of your life. I surely will.

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it a million times again from now: I am not a fan of power metal. But when I say that, I really mean I'm not a fan of the uber-cheesy European-style power metal. Soulless shred and, frankly, pansy-ass singing does not interest me. But in fact, I love American-style power metal. There are so few bands playing it (Nevermore, Iced Earth, Jag Panzer, and Norway's Communic) that sometimes I forget it even exists. But what does exist usually blows my mind.

I picked up By the Hands of the Devil from Satan's Host based on a recommendation from Metallattorney, who called it an album of the year contender. He is not wrong. The sound is based in the thrashy American vein of power metal, with highly aggressive riffs and the good kind of over-the-top vocals. The Tyrant (also of Jag Panzer) sounds like Communic's Oddleif Stensland at times and at other times like Dio. As far as the riffs--have you ever wondered how blackened power metal would sound?

Pretty fucking awesome, that's how it sounds.

Satan's Host are at their best when they go full throttle, working tremolo riffing into their thrashy assault, drums blasting or filling, and vocals soaring. Check the title track for a perfect example. But they are accomplished at slower speeds as well, mastering drama and emotion on cuts like "Before the Flame". The songs are a trifecta of catchy, aggressive, and evil. There's not much more to say. You need to hear it for yourself.

The Verdict: Ever since Nevermore's big letdown last year, I've had an itch that I couldn't scratch. By the Hands of the Devil scratched it raw and left me bleeding.

originally written for http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/

I have been a big fan of Satan's Host since discovering them a few years back. Of course when I found out about them, they were more of a blackened thrash metal band with raspy vocals and long, riff-driven songs. I was aware of their earlier material with Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin of Jag Panzer from the 1980's, but had not had the opportunity to check it out. Sometime last year, it was announced that The Tyrant was coming back to Satan's Host. I was not sure what to think. I like Jag Panzer, but I also like the blackened thrash output of Satan's Host. What was going to happen? What would I think of this reformation?

Well, to put it simply, this is a contender for Album of the Year.

Holy shit, this is a great album. This is very dark American power metal with some almost death metal style riffing at times. It is aggressive and nasty stuff. The guitar work by longtime guitarist Pat Evil is terrific. Whether it's a particularly heavy riff or an incendiary solo, Evil is truly an underrated guitar master. The guitar really drives the album, as is the case for all of the band's material. This is a powerfully melodic album but still remains dark enough to satisfy those fans of their previous sound.

The vocals are extremely impressive. Conklin has always had one of the best voices in American power metal, and now he brought it back to the darkness that is Satan's Host's music. It matches surprisingly well, even bearing similarities to Mercyful Fate's early material. His soaring style contrasts with the dark and heavy riffing, but it still just sounds great together.

I am particularly impressed with the surprisingly powerful "Fallen Angel", which will likely be among my favorite songs of the year by the end. It is an amazing song that sends chills down my spine.

There is still a lot of time left, but so far, this is the Album of the Year.

Harry Conklin is keeping his calendar full in recent months, first with the ended hiatus of his mainstay Jag Panzer, and now by rejoining his sinister alter consciousness Satan's Host. Now, while the Tyrant has not fronted the band since their unsung classic debut Metal From Hell in 1986, the Colorado cult has hardly been inactive. At least not since the other members got their shit together at the turn of the century and released a string of albums that flew below the radar of many. Titles like The Great American Scapegoat 666 (2008) did display some ardent potential, but with Conklin back in the fold, they're a far closer approximation to their former, glorious and blasphemous selves.

Obviously, through the gulf of 25 years, studio production capabilities have advanced readily, so this is a far cleaner aural visage than Metal From Hell itself. But despite that, there are clear differences between this and Jag Panzer. Conklin explores the same general range and pitch as he has for the past decade in that better known entity, but the musicians marry this to a more malignant mixture of traditional heavy, power and even the occasional melodic black metal outburst ("By the Hands of the Devil", "Black Hilted Knife"). The guitars are far more potent and less processed than, say, Scourge of the Light, but they're not without their own melodic distinction, fused into the thundering footwork and campy occult lyrical concepts. What's more, the band will erupt into these climactic sequences like the gang shouts of "Demontia" that will force every non-poseur in miles to suppress an impish grin.

The depths of this album are simply loaded with memorable, arching vocal hooks ("Inferior Worlds", "Fallen Angel") and escalating overtures ("Norwegian Wood", "Revival") that will easily support your investment, and what you're left with is a beautiful osmosis of classic 80s Jag Panzer and Mercyful Fate, which, if you've got even the faintest shred of dignity or taste, will initiate an abyssal erection a quarter century in the making. For Conklin to reintegrate himself so effortlessly back in this long submerged outfit is a miracle in of itself, but to then produce a work superior to anything he's written with Jag since Ample Destruction is mind boggling. By the Hands of the Devil is very easily recommended to anyone who appreciates dynamic, memorable heavy metal basked in a hellish undertow. Now to cross my fingers that I don't have to wait 25 more fucking years for this to happen again. I may have lost my hearing by that point, if not my life.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com