Review by Greg on December 12, 2025.

After what seemed like an interminable development hell, this year finally sees Hell's Domain give the world a sequel to their self-titled debut, released in 2013. The band is pretty much among Denmark's best-kept secrets, dedicated to the more melodic end of thrash metal, without however the slightest trace of modern metal elements that purists might sniff at, and I've been waiting for years for them to resurface again, in order to up the ante, and maybe trim some of the less convincing extra fat. The lineup is intact, save for guitarist Andreas Schubert's abandoment, so there's no reason to be pessimistic, after all.

Indeed, the first good news about this brand-new Terminal State is that the guys haven't lost a bit of their enthusiasm. I distinctly remember having employed the word 'classy', as well as comparisons with Artillery and Heathen, when talking about its predecessor, and basically everything applies here too. The only minor difference, perhaps, is Alex Clausen's gritty timbre, which is now marginally less high-pitched than before, veering a little closer to John Bush, but still rather engaging. For the rest, they aren't the most extreme band around, for sure, but they also know their thrash metal, and how to generate some headbanging with ease. Seems ironic, then, that what impressed me the most on Hell's Domain were the slower songs, though, which is where many of their peers falter a bit. True to that, 'Cast By The Fire' is another win, driven by a cool main riff that justifies its longer running time.

But what I love the most is when albums improve exactly what I wanted to, as if bands actually cared about my opinion. Terminal State is almost 20 minutes shorter than the previous one, and better still, it prioritizes the fast and memorable belters in the vein of 'The Walls Come Tumblin' Down', which was my absolute highlight back then. Every other song is a lesson on how to deliver the goods without any unnecessary frills. Nowhere is this more evident than in 'Sanctuary', which is in charge of closing the album, but feels like it didn't want to – but it's another solid track (if kinda anticlimactic) that features another mighty hook in the bridge. This approach culminates in 'Enemies At The Gate', strategically placed in the middle of the tracklist, which marries the band's breakneck DNA with a slower and impossibly memorable refrain that could have been written by Anubis (from CA). I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, and they work together fantastically. Elsewhere, 'In The Ashes' is just a bit behind the others, although its subpar chorus is probably the one to blame.

If the above mentioned bands are up your alley, and you don't mind later Toxik as well (Breaking Class onward), giving a spin to Terminal State should be a no-brainer for you. The guitars won't match Josh Christian's inimitable shredding, but it also has way less meandering (when not outright puzzling) moments than Dis Morta.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10