Review by Felix on June 14, 2023.

At one time, there was a column in the German Metal Hammer called “Track Attack” or something like that, in which musicians were supposed to comment on individual songs. This was not always without accidents. At some point Blackie Lawless sat there and said about a song: "That's fast. That's speed metal. Speed metal has to be speedy." Very intelligent, who would dare to disagree?

Well, Violent Sin at least not. The guys from Belgium do not break all speed records, but their songs are swift as an arrow and rely on a good flow. It’s nice to see that the material is free from any gram of fat. The guys had ideas for 36 minutes and this is exactly the playtime of Serpent’s Call. No useless repetitions are always a good thing, because we have no time to lose in view of the big number of further great albums. Nevertheless, let’s stay here. A bulky riff kicks off the opener, but more characteristic for the songs of the five-piece are straight verses, concise choruses and a rather non-technical approach. There is a big portion of the eighties in their sound, not only due to the conventional song patterns and some high-pitched screams, but also a lot of reverb and a proper number of cool, well-hung riffs. The beginning of 'Awaiting The Gallows' delivers one of the best, but more or less all songs are convincing with regard to their energetic verve. Guess it’s common understanding that screaming and howling guitars are never wrong.

Violent Sin is among those pretty magical bands that can create something fresh while using only old ingredients. They feel comfortable in the triangle formed by the early outputs of Denmark’s Evil, Exciter and Mercyful Fate minus their progressive elements. Yes, everything sounds somewhat generic and due to the very homogeneous song-writing, the songs merge together. But that’s no problem for an ordinary metalhead like me – I just enjoy the cuts from position one to eleven without thinking too much about variety, subtle nuances or academic excursions. Quite the opposite, I am happy that all musicians are interested in song-friendly contributions instead of exposing their egos. Therefore, it is only logical that even the solos are focussed on compactness. These short outbreaks are well embedded into the songs and do not deviate almost a millimetre from the given path.

Serpent’s Call belongs to those albums without highlights. This statement must be understood as a compliment; all songs are good, impulsive and vital. Somehow I'm glad that the band doesn't give a damn about the zeitgeist. This is the mentality that made metal great. Maybe the title of the closer says it all, because yes, Violent Sin deliver a 'Strike From The Underground'. This strike does not come too soon, because the best times of Belgium’s Acid are long gone. All the better that these guys stand in their tradition. And if someone (Blackie Lawless, for example) were to hold a gun to my head and force me to name my favourite on this permanently good-class work, I would choose 'Malicious Stirring' because of the anthemic chorus. But only then.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on March 28, 2024.

One of the foreign bands that managed to gain respect and interest within the Serbian black metal scene is Godcider, who originally hail from Russia, but later relocated to Pančevo, Serbia. The band has been going strong for well over 16-17 years, but as of recently, Godcider released their fifth album Leviathan on December 23rd, 2023 via the label Journey To The End.

The opening track 'Leviathan' unloads all the ammo like a minigun, with a loud and clear statement that “this means war” and “war is hell”. From the very get-go, it’s misanthropy, chaos and death through intense tremolo picking riffs, blast beats and harsh shouting vocals, killing anything that stands in the way and executing all the prisoners. In the war infested lands that Godcider creates with each song, you can slightly feel the music giving you chills from all the hatred and ravenous anger that flows through every riff. What you will also hear is a very creepy and suspenseful atmosphere in the slow clean guitars and acoustic moments that give you a second of thought before the danger strikes, with the best example showcasing this being the fourth track 'I Forge Your Death'.

The songwriting is rather simple and straightforward from one song to another, but on the other hand, one can’t deny that the consistent style throughout the entire album has proven itself to be very effective. You truly get a sense that this is like a very intense story with terror that constantly follows the protagonist in his god forsaken journey where there is no hope of turning back. Each song conveys a similar atmosphere and feeling, even though it feels like all of them primarily stick to one formula throughout the entire album, but nevertheless it can be overlooked if you embrace this as one linear story that goes forth and never looks back. Surprisingly, even though the album is almost 30 minutes long, it feels much longer than that, due to the dynamics of each song creating such a strong rollercoaster that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Personally, when it comes to Godcider’s new album Leviathan, I really like it as a whole and it’s probably one of the stronger Serbian black metal releases that have come out in recent years. This band has had a very strong roster of albums, and now with the new album out, the militant strength has managed to expand further. Godcider’s new weapon Leviathan is locked and loaded to take down the enemy frontlines.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on March 28, 2024.

One of the foreign bands that managed to gain respect and interest within the Serbian black metal scene is Godcider, who originally hail from Russia, but later relocated to Pančevo, Serbia. The band has been going strong for well over 16-17 years, but as of recently, Godcider released their fifth album Leviathan on December 23rd, 2023 via the label Journey To The End.

The opening track 'Leviathan' unloads all the ammo like a minigun, with a loud and clear statement that “this means war” and “war is hell”. From the very get-go, it’s misanthropy, chaos and death through intense tremolo picking riffs, blast beats and harsh shouting vocals, killing anything that stands in the way and executing all the prisoners. In the war infested lands that Godcider creates with each song, you can slightly feel the music giving you chills from all the hatred and ravenous anger that flows through every riff. What you will also hear is a very creepy and suspenseful atmosphere in the slow clean guitars and acoustic moments that give you a second of thought before the danger strikes, with the best example showcasing this being the fourth track 'I Forge Your Death'.

The songwriting is rather simple and straightforward from one song to another, but on the other hand, one can’t deny that the consistent style throughout the entire album has proven itself to be very effective. You truly get a sense that this is like a very intense story with terror that constantly follows the protagonist in his god forsaken journey where there is no hope of turning back. Each song conveys a similar atmosphere and feeling, even though it feels like all of them primarily stick to one formula throughout the entire album, but nevertheless it can be overlooked if you embrace this as one linear story that goes forth and never looks back. Surprisingly, even though the album is almost 30 minutes long, it feels much longer than that, due to the dynamics of each song creating such a strong rollercoaster that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Personally, when it comes to Godcider’s new album Leviathan, I really like it as a whole and it’s probably one of the stronger Serbian black metal releases that have come out in recent years. This band has had a very strong roster of albums, and now with the new album out, the militant strength has managed to expand further. Godcider’s new weapon Leviathan is locked and loaded to take down the enemy frontlines.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10