Pre-dating God Part 1

Whether they’re playing power metal, black metal, or something in between, there’s no denying that Satan’s Host has been pretty ambitious for a band their age. Now on the latest phase of the reunion with original vocalist Harry Conklin, the band has taken the Use Your Illusion route by producing an album split into two halves. The results aren’t exactly distinct from one another but there’s still high quality to be found.

When considering how prolific Satan’s Host has become in recent years, it isn’t too surprising to see them slide into a set style. The blackened power metal of the last couple efforts is at full force as Patrick Evil's guitars utilize tremolo picking and other extreme techniques, Evil Little Hobbit's drums constantly blast, and the vocals cover everything from Conklin’s signature bellows to King Diamond style wails. However, this album and part 2 are more melodic and the harsher vocals aren’t used as often.

Both parts of Pre-dating god go through the same songwriting tropes and are about even in quality, but Part 1 may be the stronger installment. “Embers Of Will” is the strongest track thanks to an ominous middle section reminiscent of Mercyful Fate while the choruses on songs like “Hell’s Disciples” and the title track help keep the elaborate structures memorable. The closing take on Grim Reaper’s “See You In Hell” is also worth noting. It might not have the same evil aesthetic but the amped approach makes it sound as good as it does on paper and you can tell they had a lot of fun with it.

I fail to see how one could only get one of the two, but Pre-dating god Part 1 may be the one to go for in such a situation. It doesn’t stray too far from the band’s recent efforts and has a good mix of melody and aggression for established fans. The two parts aren’t a bad recommendation for newer fans but one may want to go for one of their more solid efforts first.

Highlights:
“Embers of Will”
"Valley of Blood"
“Pre-Dating God”
“See You In Hell”

I first heard Jag Panzer's Ample Destruction in about 2007 or so, and I was also learning to love early Mercyful Fate around that same time. If you told me that the guy singing on the former would be making music in 2015 that perhaps most strongly recalled the latter of any modern-day metal act, well, I would have been surprised. Satan's Host are a true underground treasure; having trekked through the annals of time since 1977 with various line-ups and styles, and since 2010 they've been rocking out with original singer Harry Conklin – and their newest double album is perhaps the finest work they've done since reuniting with him.

You basically know what you're getting with a Satan's Host album these days – this is full of blazing, twisted black-metal-styled riffing, fiery lead guitar antics, barbed-wire bass work and the powerful vocals of Conklin. All their songs have the same basic structure and sound to them, and they vary it up about as much as Motorhead does – this really is one of those super-consistent acts that you don't care if every song sounds similar. It really just matters how good the songs are with a band like this, and this album has them in spades – their last album Virgin Sails just never caught fire for me, lacking in any catchy moments, but these new albums are a huge improvement.

I really like the way they build up these tracks, not just rushing into a chorus the way a lot of bands tend to – on songs like the title track or opener “Hell's Disciples” they kick off with killer riffing and lots of changes in the riffing and all sorts of cool moments, not really throwing a chorus at you until maybe halfway through a song – they let the tension build quite well. “Greed, Lust, War” is a killer thrashy track with some of their most technical riffs to date and “After the End” has some great dramatic vocals from Conklin. The best songs, though, are “Embers of Will” and “Valley of Blood” - tremendous, thundering classic metal tracks with all the complexity and power and might this band showed potential for on the last couple albums brought to fruition. Just magnificently done tracks.

The cover of Grim Reaper's “See You in Hell” fits in like the band could have written it themselves, so that shows you the kind of pedigree you're getting on here. Satan's Host is legit, and you should check this out if you have any pride in metal. Great album.

Originally formed in 1977 by Patrick Evil, Satan’s Host is a Colorado-based metal band that, aside from a six year break between 1988 and 1994, has been steadily slogging away since their formation. In 1986 the band released the now-cult classic Metal From Hell, with the enigmatic Leviathan Thisiren (also known as Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin of Jag Panzer fame) at the helm, showcasing nine tracks of dark traditional power metal. When the band was reformed, years later sans Thisiren, they returned with more of a black/death metal sound, steering away from the traditional sound of the earlier material. After five full length albums between 2000 and 2009 with L.C.F. Elixir handling vocals, Thisiren returned to handle vocal duties. While many thought a return to Metal From Hell was imminent, the band turned heads with 2011′s By the Hands of the Devil, which combined the band’s later blackened sound with thrash riffing, traditional power metal and the soaring, acrobatic vocals of Thisiren. In 2013, the band, with the same lineup, dropped Virgin Sails, which continued the band’s blend of blackened power metal to largely favorable reviews.

January 2015 sees the release of two albums, Pre-dating God, Part 1 and Pre-dating God, Part 2, which, according to the band, are a set of albums encompassing the same concept. Both albums are available individually or as a package deal through Moribund Records. Pre-dating God, Part 1 showcases seven tracks and slightly over forty-one minutes of play time. The songs flow naturally between rollicking palm muting, mid-tempo plodding and balls out thrashing, with no forced transitions to be found. Satan’s Host certainly shows their strong chemistry, as everyone seems to be playing off of each other, with no members overshadowing another. Featuring Patrick Evil on guitar, Margar on bass, Evil Little Hobbit on drums and Thisiren on vocals, this is the longest tenured lineup in Satan’s Host history.

The music certainly continues in the vein of the band’s last two albums: an incredible blending of blistering double bass runs, fast paced trem picking, beefy power metal riffing and thrash-styled hooks. The album fires away from the start with “Hell’s Disciples” and “Embers of Will”, which both bring near blasting drums and rollicking rhythms alongside stellar lead guitar licks. Thisiren is in fine form with his signature soaring croon, even belting out some crazy falsettos. Though the album starts off with a few barn burners, the overall feel of Pre-dating God, Part 1 comes across as brooding and almost ethereal at times. The title track showcases this with its constant mid-paced crunch and “After the End” which starts off with melodic picking akin to ’80s hard rock, building into simmering saunter. Surprisingly, Thisiren brings a few section of deep, growled vocals, which may or may not have to do with a statement by L.C.F. Elixir in which he remarked that Thisiren couldn’t do harsh vocals.

The band finishes off the first portion of their double concept with a rendition of Grim Reaper’s classic “See You in Hell”, which has been a live staple of the band for some time now. Infusing their blackened touch into the classic track adds some venom, giving the song a harder edge. When combined with the soaring vocals of Thisiren, it manages to outshine the original. Pre-dating God, Part 1 is a well-balanced effort that sees Satan’s Host throwing on the brakes compared to previous efforts. That’s not to say there are moments of blistering blackened heavy metal, because it’s chock full of it, but the moody, tempered nature of the songwriting brings a rounded effort that highlights the amazing vocals of Thisiren. It’s not the fast furious album that Virgin Sails was, but it’s another fine offering from Satan’s Host, especially when combined with the second, slightly amped-up album, Pre-dating God, Part 2.

Written for The Metal Observer.