ALBUM REVIEW: Churches Without Saints – Desaster

Akin to the revival of the old school death metal movement, blackened thrash has seen a boom of resurgence in recent years; largely thanks to bands like MIDNIGHT, HELLRIPPER, DEMISER and more. With the ferocity of thrash fused with the razor-sharp bite of black metal proving to be a match made in heaven, as shown for years on end, the style’s resurgence and new-found popularity within the heavy music world has felt long overdue. With a career spanning over three decades, Germany’s DESASTER are veterans of the black thrash world. As one of the OGs, the band helped write the blueprint that later names would help bring to the masses so as they return with ninth full-length effort, Church Without Saints, the onus is on them to reaffirm their position as one of the flagships of the sub-genre. But does this new offering pack a strong enough punch to keep the pace with the younger and emphatic competition?

As far making an instant impression goes, the double whammy of Learn To Love The Void and Failing Trinity inject a bucket full of thrashing adrenaline from the get go. Slick riffs ebb and flow from a blackened pummelling to harmonious passages of more traditional metal sensibility, conjuring up a sound that is just made for heads to bang. Vocalist Sataniac‘s vocals cut through the mix well enough to hold their own with enough authority to hold your attention. A fine start to the record indeed.

From there, DESASTER continue to impress. Exile Is Imminent has a lovely little introduction that pushes the the harmonics of the guitar to the front, showcasing the skill within their repertoire, before evolving into an aurally vicious slab of black thrash whilst the title track oozes from much more of a blackened bite as sustained mid-tempo black metal riffs carry the weight of the track throughout and acts as a sturdy bridge into the record’s second half.

Speaking of the record’s second half, whilst there are few curveballs to be experienced here and it is very much by the numbers from DESASTER, that’s not to say the quality is poor. Hellputa‘s snappy thrashing riffing and old school heavy metal attitude is as charming as it is exhilarating, the way in which Sadistic Salvation plays with the pacing is world class and features some of the best musicianship on the whole record, and Primordial Obscurity injects a fresh dose of adrenaline in the record’s final stretch, ensuring that fatigue is effectively side-stepped. The experience within the band’s ranks works wonders here, there is rarely a misstep or misfired attempt to spice up the formula; every moment on Churches Without Saints is calculated, precise and aurally satisfying.

Churches Without Saints won’t set the world alight but that was never DESASTER‘s intention. The band have been consistently churning out solid material since their inception all those years ago. The five year year since The Oath Of An Iron Ritual has been worth it. Packed full of killer riffs and consistently strong throughout, Churches Without Saints is a devilishly cool record and one in which affirms DESASTER reclaiming their title as one of the strongest bands in black thrash.

Rating: 8/10

Churches Without Saints is set for release on June 4th via Metal Blade Records. 

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