Review by Fernando on November 28, 2025.

Death metal is a style that, despite growing a bit saturated as of late, is one that I keep coming back to, particularly with the more evil-sounding or hybrid with black metal. A recent phenomenon of extreme metal veterans starting brand new projects is always an interesting proposition to check, even if the music doesn’t quite live up to the initial hype. And so, today we have Hellstorm Apocalypse’s self-titled debut mini album. This project is the love child of Australian extreme metalheads Doomsayer and Hellaeon, who previously played together in cult acts Darklord, Suffering, Beyond Mortal Dreams and Oni, and their biggest selling point is the fact that they’re collaborating together for the first time in over a decade.

Given the two members’ experience within the realms of black and death metal, it's not surprising that Hellstorm Apocalypse leans into evil black/death metal territory, and of course, their bona fides are very much displayed with pride. This EP is a slab of brutal riffs, sinister keyboard-enhanced atmospheres and foul gutturals. It evokes that very brief period in the very early 90s when death metal bands started blackening their sound before the Scandinavians took over. As such, the record balances a vintage sound with a timeless feel; it sounds like it belongs in 1990 but without coming off as artificial.

While Doomsayer handles the bulk of the instrumentation, I wanna first give props to Hellaeon’s drumming, he expertly toes the line between sheer brutality of blast beats and double bass with a classic metal swagger. The band’s cover of legendary Australian death metal icons Armoured Angel is the best display of this dynamism, but as a whole Hellaeon steals the show with his drumming.

However, that’s not to sell Doomsayer short, handling the rest of the instrumentation and vocals showcase all of his talents and how his tenure in different bands with different styles pays off. His approach is very old-school, maintaining a primitive but effective songwriting that also gives him space to flex his more technical skills, particularly in how he employs speed in his riffs, classically melodic soloing, and the effectiveness of his evil synths, and of course, his sinister gutturals while matching Helleaeon’s intensity beat for beat. The chemistry of both members and how they play together on record is what makes this EP so enjoyable; the way they’re on the same wavelength and employ their skills to complement one another really makes the songs feel more impactful.

The production is also perfect for the band, not too polished, but also not overly gritty; it has the perfect balance while maintaining a thick, bass-heavy sound that makes the drumming sound organic. My only real complaint is how the bass seems lost in the mix, due to the use of downtuned guitars and employing that old school, evil death metal sound. The bass becomes the casualty in the service of everything else working as intended, with the overall execution being successful in every sense of the word. These 2 veterans display the best qualities of that brief period of evil metal that a lot of bands just now seem to start paying more reverence than ever before, and for my money, it really is an easy recommendation for any fan of extreme metal.

Rating: 8 out of 10