Review: Windhand & Satan’s Satyrs Split

Windhand & Satan’s Satyrs Split
Relapse records

Virginia is an American state that has produced so many different bands of note from all different spectrums of the heavy universe from the blood splattered metal of GWAR to death metallers Deceased and grind maniacs Pig Destroyer to the party thrash of Municipal Waste and the Southern fried metal of Alabama Thunderpussy, the range of styles is impressive. You can add the heavy metal mastery of another two bands from the state too in Windhand and Satans Satyrs, two bands with a more traditional heavy metal sound who play with passion and deliver results with every release. Having been tourmates in the past, the two bands link up for this split release on Relapse Records and deliver five tracks of doom and fuzz drenched metal.

Windhand and Satans Satyrs both approach heavy music with a similar outlook, that classic heavy metal sound but both bands music is reinterpreted in their own unique vision and both bands deal in massive riffs and shaking grooves with gleeful abandon. Windhand have more of a doom metal vibe and it is executed in a life  affirming manner, managing to make their songs of sorrow and grief sound anthemic while Satans Satyrs proto-metal sound is caked in fuzz and sounds energized constantly. Windhands two songs on this play Old Evil and Three Sisters channel the spirit of prime Black Sabbath with their own head crunching style while Satans Satyrs take the sound of Blue Cheer and Captain Beyond and inject their own passion into it with their three offerings Alucard AD2018, Succubus and Ain’t That Loving You Baby and despite the bands different sounds, it is clear that they definitely come from the same place, both sonically and spirituality.

This split release is a testament to both bands skill as musicians and their love of the music they play and it is best played turned up to the max so you can let the righteous riffs and soaring vocals of both Windhand and Satans Satyrs roam free.