Ελληνικά
Genre: Black Metal, Heavy Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: Osmose Productions
Year: 2026
Swedish black/thrash marauders Bewitched have never truly slumbered—they’ve just been stoking the infernal flames in the shadows. Forged in 1995’s molten chaos, the band spent nearly two decades away from studios after 2006’s Hellmut, only to erupt onstage across Brazil, Colombia, Greece, and Europe, proving their hellfire burns eternal. Now, with a triumphant return to Osmose Productions—the label that birthed their early savagery—Diabolical Death Mass slams home 11 tracks of pure, unadulterated old-school blackened thrash. This isn’t a comeback; it’s a ritual invocation, raw and relentless, channeling the primal fury of Venom, Bathory’s early blitz, and Sarcófago’s unholy grind.
The album ignites with “Sanguinis Altare,” a brooding intro of ritualistic chants and tolling bells that sets a cinematic, sabbathian tone—like stepping into a midnight mass led by demons. It bleeds seamlessly into the title track, “Diabolical Death Mass,” a razor-sharp anthem exploding with galloping riffs, Jebediah’s snarling vocals, and a chorus primed for cult sing-alongs. At just under four minutes, it packs the punch of a possessed freight train, blending thrash’s speed with black metal’s frostbitten edge.
“Into the Fire” keeps the momentum scorching, its mid-tempo crush evoking Destruction’s Teutonic might but laced with Bewitched’s signature Satanic swagger—think chainsaw guitars and gang shouts that demand headbanging. “Crossing the Styx” dives deeper into the abyss, a mid-paced stomper with eerie leads mimicking Charon’s ferry ride; the bridge’s tempo shift unleashes a whirlwind of blastbeats and spiteful solos, pure gateway-to-Hell euphoria.
The standout “Black Spells & Unclean Spirits” is a venomous highlight, its slithering riffs and occult lyrics conjuring witchcraft rituals amid pummeling double-kick fury—reminiscent of Celtic Frost’s hypnotic menace but thrashier, wilder. “(Fear the) Revenge of the Ripper” follows with Jack-the-Ripper savagery, all slashing riffs and bloodthirsty hooks that make it an instant live destroyer. “By Satan Enslaved” ramps up the blasphemy, a high-octane rager with anthemic refrain and razor-wire solos, while “Vicious and Wild” channels ’80s speed metal mania, its hook-laden assault begging for festival pits.
Bewitched saves some of their darkest sorcery for the back half. “The Witch Spell” brews a cauldron of doomy grooves and shrieking leads, evoking a coven in full incantation, before “Those of the Devil Born” unleashes tribal drums and horde-like chants for a black metal horde rally. The closer, “Enforcer of Evil,” seals the mass with epic finality—a slow-burner building to cataclysmic riffage and a triumphant, fist-pumping outro that leaves you craving more infernal rites.
