Virgin Sails

I've been a fan of the USPM style since 2010 or so, but at that time I never expected a comeback of the strength we've seen in the last couple of years. Sure, there were a few more modern USPM classics like Steel Assassin's debut, Onward's debut, and Cauldron Born's output, but nothing on the scale I've seen recently. USPM monoliths and obscure acts I never expected to reform have both made comebacks; of course it's going to be hit and miss, but with the sheer number of bands putting out new material, some are bound to be hits, and the most recent album from Satan's Host is certainly an example of a perfect hit. The band had some stiff competition in 2013 alone with comeback albums from Satan and Attacker, new albums from Manilla Road and Argus, and altogether new bands like Blazon Stone and Terminus. However, Satan's Host's Virgin Sails blows all of those out of the water (well, to be fair, Satan comes fairly close).

2011 was a year full of hype for the classic heavy/power metal scene, with the reformation of classic NWOBHM act Hell and their debut full-length, a comeback album from Riot with classic vocalist Tony Moore, Manilla Road's long-awaited followup to the modern masterpiece Voyager, and of course a change of pace for Satan's Host, with original vocalist Harry Conklin returning to the band. While Satan's Host's By the Hands of the Devil was certainly a step in the right direction, I felt it was still too much in the black/death metal camp and fairly underdeveloped as a whole. The end of the same year saw a compilation of re-recordings from the band, which both excited and disappointed me. While the re-recordings of "Metal From Hell" and "Witches' Return", from Conklin's time in the band, were absolutely superb, the re-recordings of their black/death material were, obviously, even more in the black/death camp than the debut album had been, and the two new songs weren't much better. So I waited for their next album to come out, not expecting much but hoping that maybe they'd go in a more heavy/power direction like we saw on the debut back in 1986.

Holy fuck, did Virgin Sails ever exceed my expectations. As expected Harry Conklin is in absolute top form, one of the few vocalists who manages to sound better in 2013 than he did on classic albums like Ample Destruction and Metal From Hell in the 1980s. What's unexpected is the vast improvement in both songwriting and style, creating one of the best power/thrash albums I've ever heard. The songs on By the Hands... felt overly long and repetitive, with good but overused ideas scattered throughout bland black/death riffs; that's all gone here. There's a little bit of extreme metal influence, but it's incorporated very fluidly, feeling not at all out-of-place or clunky. At its core this is really just dark, vicious power/thrash - perhaps the darkest and most vicious power/thrash album I've ever heard. The closest release I can think of to this style is little known USPM/thrash act Dark Deception's Sadistic Intentions demo - read my review for more details on that one.

This album is just glorious in the most unholy way possible; infernal chants, haunting croons, malevolent growls, and of course Conklin's most-used style, a ball-shattering midrange USPM bellow. The songwriting is also varied enough that you can listen to the album all the way through without getting bored at all; some riffs are more atmospheric, like the intro of "Dichotomy," and some are just mercilessly ripping thrash, like in "Island of the Giant Ants." However, there are really no disappointments to be found here; despite the fact that the album is almost an hour long, with songs clocking in at nearly seven minutes on average, nothing ever feels bloated or overlong; this is just goddamn masterful songwriting. There's not a bad song here, nor do any really stand out of the pack; they're all brilliant. If your a fan of USPM, thrash, Harry Conklin, or Satan's Host, go get this album NOW. This is the true realization of the band's vision, something they never achieved on Metal from Hell but have finally mastered after over 35 years together.

Quite a lot about Satan's Host is surprising. For starters the very fact that original vocalist Harry Conklin rejoined the band in 2009 was a bit of a shocker given the very different direction that chief songwriter Patrick Evil had taken the band in for the previous decade. By the time of Conklin's comeback album, 2011's By The Hands Of The Devil (the same year that Jag Panzer released The Scourge Of The Light) it was his first recorded vocal performance in 7 years and while a bit of loss of his famous vocal power might have been accepted few probably could ever have anticipated that he would sound the best he ever had.

2 years on in 2013 and Virgin Sails is a total crystallization of what the band has been working towards for the past few years. Patrick Evil proved with the 5 Black/Death albums the band released prior to Conklin's rejoining that the times had not left him behind, and here the blend between the 2 styles is seamless, perhaps the most successful merging of Black/Death Metal with traditional Heavy/Power Metal ever attempted. It defies logic that men in their 50's should be making the crowning glory albums of their careers now, but that is exactly what is happening. What is more is for the first time Satan's Host really threaten to have a commercial breakthrough with this album. Like I said, a lot about the band is surprising.

Satan's Host have once again teamed with the legendary Joe Petagno for the cover art with the Motörhead-man reviving the style he used in the late 90's for bands like Avulsed, Angelcorpse and Dies Ater. From the outside this may look like a straight up Black/Death Metal album, and given that this was recorded in a studio more commonly frequented by the likes of Cephalic Carnage and Cattle Decapitation you might expect that the Satan's Host sound of 1999-2009 has made a comeback. Instead it is ingratiated perfectly with the classic sound of 1986-1989 to create a unique and powerful modern Metal vibe. Comparisons to Andy Sneap's recent studio work with Hell can be made, but the broader genre influences, such as the blast-heavy “Island Of The Giant Ants” and the God Dethroned/Vital Remains vibe on “Reanimated Anomalies”, make easy pigeon-holing as a lesser Hell an insulting fit. Long term fans of the band not so enamoured with these new-fangled influences have their day too, such as the breather track “Dichotomy”, but the more modern leanings might be enough to give the band a newer and younger fanbase. It's a hard balance to get right, but Satan's Host have made a great achievement with this album.

There is no doubt that there is a market for it, as witnessed by the huge commercial success of the returning NWOBHM underdogs Hell. Overall this album has a more melodic vibe than any of their previous efforts, particularly on the soloing on the self-titled closing number and the Maiden bass intro and Amon Amarth-esque leads of “Infinite Impossibilities”, though it is never allowed to overshadow the band's trademark intensity. Satan's Host have not sold out, far from it in fact, but I can still see this new effort taking them to new places commercially speaking. Perhaps the fact that only “Reanimated Anomalies” is below the 6 minute mark might hamper their chances of a broader appeal amongst the often short attention spans of mainstream Metal fans, but a few shorter and punchier tracks on the next outing and some more theatricality in the live performances could really catapult Satan's Host into that new arena.

Speaking of live, I am curious to see how well these new songs can be replicated there. In terms of key changes, rapid-fire delivery and intriguing vocal lines this is probably the most challenging album Conklin has ever done, and if the call and response between his high vocals and the harsher backing ones on certain tracks here are as I expect, performed entirely by him and not with the help of another band member they might be too much of a challenge even for one of Metal's most underrated frontmen. That being said, Satan's Host have pulled so many surprises out of the bag in recent years, this fine album included, that it would not at all be beyond question that Conklin could pull it off on stage as well as he does in the studio. Either way, this is undoubtedly their best album since the legendary Metal From Hell debut and one of the strongest Heavy Metal albums of the year. [9/10]

From WAR ON ALL FRONTS A.D. 2013 zine- www.facebook.com/waronallfronts

Satan's Host is an illustrious blackened heavy metal band created in 1977. They've hovered in various incantations since their formation, but always with the band's creator, Patrick Evil on guitars. The band's debut release, Metal From Hell, came out in 1986 with Leviathan Thisiren on vocals, who is better known as Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin from the legendary Colorado based heavy metal act Jag Panzer. I'll admit that I'm a huge Jag Panzer fan, and have been since the release of their MacBeth inspired Thane to the Throne release in 2000. It's through Jag Panzer that I even stumbled across Satan's Host and I always thought it was odd that a vocalist like the Tyrant would sing for a black metal band. Little did I know, then, that the band had already released a legendary album in the form of Metal From Hell, which I know hold in sentimental regard.

In 2011, the metal world was dealt a blow with the announcement of Jag Panzer's disbanding. This was the second break up of Jag Panzer (the first being between 1988 and 1994) and after the exceptional Scourge of the Light, I was more than a little upset that the band was bowing out. Unbeknownst to me, Conklin had already re-joined forces with Satan's Host in 2010. After learning that news, I was ecstatic to hear that Satan's Host was releasing a new album with Conklin at the helm, By the Hands of the Devil. And what a freaking album that was, filled to the brim with heavy riffing, blast beats and trem picking underneath the soaring, anthemic vocals of Conklin.

Returning, once again with Conklin on vocals, Satan's Host dropped their eighth full length album through Moribund Records, titled Virgin Sails. As good as By the Hands of the Devil truly was, Satan's Host may have topped themselves once again. The opening lines of the album show the band's intent:

“I come not to send peace
But a sword to slay men
I form to the light
Creating darkness upon this earth
I am the bringer of evil”

Satan's Host have once again returned to spread their blackened gospel to the masses with the unholiest of intents. Whereas, their return to form was full of blackened atmospheres, epic vocals and scorching music, Virgin Sails does the same while buckling down with more focused songwriting and tighter riffs. Instead of blasting coupled with breaks into US power metal style, Virgin Sails sounds more like an extremely blackened traditional metal album, complete with one of Conklin's best vocal performances of his career, with soaring highs and snarling growls, as heard on tracks like “Reanimated Anomalies”. There are no lulls in this album, as it's all high speed, scorching blackened metal. The riffs borrow heavily from the likes of Mercyful Fate and Venom, but are more modern and geared slightly more towards a thrashier style of modern black metal. I know genres get thrown around, but blackened power metal truly fits the bill here.

Blasting yet controlled drums that sound like the hooves of He Who Crushes Teeth and He Who Gnashes Teeth stampeding upon the oblivious masses riddle the album. The drums are precise, tight and energetic as hell, with a double bass barrage mixed with a more traditional style. The guitar riffs are tight, thrashy and oh-so-blackened. There are solid leads thrown throughout the entire album, like the bluesy solo during “Vaporous Blood” or the scorching winding during “Island of the Giant Ants”. As good as the blackened music really is, the star of the show is Harry Conklin, as his soaring vocals completely steal the show. Switching between raspy snarls and his trademark high pitched wails, he delivers one hell of a performance (pun kind of intended).

Every track on Virgin Sails is killer, with blackened metal, fiery guitar riffs and blasting drums, but there are moments that stand out. The album's title track, “Virgin Sails”, shows the band opting for a slow building, epic sound with a slower, driving drum beat mixing with running double bass lines and chunky, palm muted riffing. The track continuously hints at something heavier and faster and doesn't really let loose until around four and a half minutes, when the drums just take off into warp speed and the guitars fly into fast paced trem picking, before building into the best solo on the album, which borrows heavily from Iommi's playbook, but it fits so well alongside the blasting drums.

When I think about my favorite metal genres, there is power metal and black metal. Hands down those are my favorites, so it's almost a dream come true to have a band like Satan's Host so expertly weave the two together. The music is ferocious and the vocals are stellar. Virgin Sails shows Satan's Host at their peak and as one of the most devastating forces to be reckoned with on this side of the Atlantic.