Review by Felix on April 4, 2020.

Do or Die - I am sure that the cheeky guys of Viking faced all professional sound engineers in their neighborhood with these two alternatives. Well, each and every engineer decided to die instead of doing the job. In other words, the production of this debut constitutes its biggest defect. Everything sounds undifferentiated, unbalanced and sticky. Make an experiment and buy the first demo of a random newcomer band that consists of a semi-professional guitarist, his dog (vocals) and a cheap drum computer. I bet that it will have a better production than the nine songs of Do or Die. Either way, as a consequence of the sound engineer's mass suicide, the band members themselves had to produce the album and they raped their own material rigorously. I nearly admire the destructive force of the band in view of the fact that Brian Slagel was the executive producer. But thrash metal is no high gloss event and therefore this technical implementation is not the death sentence for Viking's first work. It's just a pity that the compositions have no chance to shine in full bloom.

Viking do not play the most technical sort of thrash (or it is not possible to identify their dexterous tricks in view of the muddy mix). No doubt, Do or Die did not capture the spirit of classic thrash. Precisely working bands like Forbidden offer fine details, but the gang from Los Angeles prefers a rather massive approach. The result is a headbanging session of the wilder kind. The boring 'Prelude' to the rather weak 'Scavenger' and the blatantly simple intro to 'Killer Unleashed' are the only occasions to pause for breath. Speaking of 'Killer Unleashed', this song explodes after the intro in a great manner. The verses are based on strict hammering and fantastic leads, the fiery chorus possesses earworm qualities and the solo obeys the Gods of thunder as well. No doubt, this rapid outburst belongs to the best tracks - and did I already say that its intro is not only primitive, but effective as well?

Viking are able to present some catchy sections, for example the chorus of the title track or that of the furious 'Militia of Death'. This is surprising, because in general, the band does not provide any kind of extraordinary ingredients. The vocals have a little intersection with those of Don Doty and are generic (angry, not very harmonic, reckless). The music is generic as well (impetuous, vehement, straight) and the "Reign in Blood"-like solos also do not create a unique feature. From this follows that everybody who listens to this work will understand the reasons why this album did not become a milestone in the history of thrash. Anyhow, Viking have energy, a natural grasp for good riffs and an adequate, non-commercial attitude. Okay, vehemence seems to be more important than compositional abilities, but the majority of the songs lies between solid and very good. In short, there is no reason to follow the sound engineers. Don't kill yourself if you do not possess this work! Nevertheless, if there is a chance to get it, feel free to open your wallet.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 27, 2021.

Australia's wealthy underground resources are overwhelming. Hunters Moon appeared on the surface in 2009. Gifted with a solid portion of musicianship, they attacked with the here presented six tracks. Well, if one subtracts the intro, the outro and the cover version, three tracks remain and they constitute heart and soul of this output.

Hunters Moon, whose line-up consists of (ex-) members of Denouncement Pyre, combine battle lust, inexorability and a pinch of desperation. As soon as the music starts, a blood red dawn appears in front of the inner eye and nonchalance is just a distant memory. The waiver of high speed fosters the cruel element which is inherent in the system of Hunters Moon and the focus on a relatively small number of riffs leads to almost hypnotizing soundscapes. A slightly bitter taste comes up, while the duo, which gets support from a session drummer, draws the listener slowly but steadily deeper into the songs. In particular 'A Light In The Abyss', which seems to be heavily influenced by some mid-paced tracks of Immortal, and the title track, also equipped with a well-hung riff which has been imported from Blashyrkh, possess a high degree of negativity. The conjuring lead vocals complete the musical aura perfectly. This also goes for the third own regular track, which shows no signs of weakness as well.

No, the anti-religious artwork does not promise too much. The band has created a black, bubbling brew that leaves no room for hope or happiness. Unfortunately, the cover version of Angel Witch does not work. The Australian guys have made the wrong choice. "Baphomet" from the year 1978 may have lyrics that fit the concept of Hunters Moon, but its primitive line at the beginning, the uninspired chorus and the painfully outmoded solo serve as evidence that heavy metal was still in its infancy at the time of the original recording. On the positive side, this track does not hurt the profound blackness of the entire EP. It is just simply weaker than the remaining tracks.

The earthy, slightly filthy production makes clear that Hunters Moon did not have the intention to offer their material in a virtuoso manner. The more or less conventional song patterns confirm that the band members appreciate effective structures more than any kind of technical arrogance. Honestly, I like this mentality. Hence, I can recommend this disc with good conscience. Only these maniacs who think that "Transylvanian Hunger" lacked velocity will blame the here presented output for its lameness. Yet I guess this is only a small minority. However, too bad that the formation never released a successor. Fortunately, we can comfort ourselves with the fantastic albums of Denouncement Pyre.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10