At the end of 2023, the independent Polish label Putrid Cult (run by Morgul from DeathEpoch) released a split album with the hellish title Hellspawn Hegemony from two extreme bands playing vicious old school death metal with elements of black metal – Sathanas and DeathEpoch. Both bands propagate total darkness in their music, glorifying death in all its forms with their corpse-like miasmas.
Though neither band is new to splits experience, this is their first collaboration, and each band contributes five tracks, clearly defining where one leaves off and the other begins. Despite the shared stylistic framework, Sathanas and DeathEpoch offer distinctly different music. Sathanas leans towards a traditional sound rooted in ’80s old school metal, while DeathEpoch favors a war metal style, incorporating distorted sound and industrial elements. Even without a track-list, listeners will definitely notice when Sathanas transitions into DeathEpoch.
The American band Sathanas hails from Pennsylvania and has been terrorizing the extreme scene for 36 years, staying true to their style throughout all this time. Malicious, raw, and primitive, they are completely at home with their ’80s-inspired ideas, even in the 21st century. From the original line-up, only guitarist/singer Paul Tucker and bassist/singer Bill Davidson remain – two lifelong members for whom this band is a way of life, though they can hardly be called prolific. Over their 30+ year career, they have released 12 studio albums (their latest Into the Nocturne came out just a month ago), 5 demos, 3 EPs, 1 live album, and several splits with various bands. Sathanas has never veered from their path of satanism and primal death/thrash/black metal, nurturing seeds of chaos and drying the tears of metalheads who sold their souls to death and black metal 30 or even 40 years ago. So, we should not expect anything new or experimental from Sathanas on this split. Avant-garde or flirtations with modern themes are definitely not their cup of tea.
The album begins with “Arise from Fire”, a primitive track with a raw sound and atmospheric guitar solos. The next two songs – “Defiled” and “Hail Lucifer” lean towards thrash/black domain, echoing the first wave of black metal that forty years ago was seen as something extremely heavy, dark, and provocative. It was a genre that didn’t just oppose the mainstream but also challenged traditional heavy and thrash metal. “Jaws of Satan” comes with an even more subdued sound – slow and intrinsic. However, the vocal parts dive deeper into black metal territory, creating a mystical aura in the background. And the closing track “To Bring the Sabbat” is noisy and heavy, even hinting at some kind of melodies, but still it remains smooth and fluent, without any sentimentality or fluff.
The second half of Hellspawn Hegemony belongs to the Polish band DeathEpoch, who made their debut four years ago, releasing one full-length album and two splits since then. These guys are not afraid to incorporate unconventional elements into their music, pushing the boundaries of the typically static black/death metal genre. The duo consists of guitarist/bassist Morgul and vocalist/drummer Lord K. (also known for his involvement in projects like Nekkrofukk and Hate). This young band is full of enthusiasm with diverse ideas, which they skilfully implement in their music, seamlessly blending them with old school death metal. Brutal, bold, and relentless, DeathEpoch fill the second half of the split with an uncompromising display of emotion and creativity.
The DeathEpoch’s portion begins with “B.D.”, which opens with war sounds, presenting a primitive and raw mix of death, thrash and black metal, while introducing chaotic elements and some harmonies. The industrial vibes and distorted sound of “I.H.S.” further emphasize the noisiness, increasing the sense of anxiety to dangerous levels. Next, “D.W.” begins with a melancholic piano intro – slow, with low frequencies and anti-melody, and then follows more black/industrial track “G.O.M.” which also channels noise and even psychedelic elements, accompanied by the relentless sounds of armed conflicts and agonizing screams. The split concludes with “B.T.K.” which starts with dance-like beats before transforming into a multi-layered brutal death metal track with augmented levels of noise. And of course, each song is adorned with the guttural, hellish vocals of Lord K. (Piotr Jeziorski), which undoubtedly come straight from the depths of hell.
Splits are an interesting experience, especially relevant when one of the bands needs extra attention. In this classic case, Sathanas has built a cult following over more than 30 years, with their name respected and known within the metal scene. On the other hand, DeathEpoch is relatively young and still under the radar, though they are valued within their niche circles. So Hellspawn Hegemony offers a perfect opportunity to showcase the fresh blood of the Poles while also shedding a tear for the American veterans. What we get is nearly 45 minutes of heavy and malevolent music, crawling with demons and burning with the flames of all mortal sins, with a strong nod to the past. Bloody and grim, everything in the name of almighty Satan.
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