Ελληνικά
Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: High Roller Records
Year: 2019
Helvetets Port is along with Portrait and In Solitude the best Heavy Metal bands that Sweden offered after 2000 to humanity. So many would add Ghost too, but probably you haven’t read clearly the words heavy fuckin metal! Their story goes back to 2000/01. Witchfinder with his mate Erik Sjödin created a band that worshipped traditional metal, under the name of Brute Force. The connection between HP and Portrait gave an extra bond among the small but very active small of scene of Gothenburg. Before Enforcer, RAM or even High Spirits, HP was there to connect the legendary FWOSHM with the new generation of fans and bands of the new millennium. Unfortunately despite the excellent debut Exodus From Hell and the follower 12” Man With Chains, in December 2011 the band played its last show until 2014 were its members reunited. So the band was trapped under ice, since its’ hiatus was a couple of years for them, but it costed almost 8 years to their fans. Obviously, after the gap between 2010 and 2019 there have been a few line-up changes so in 2015 Virgin Killer joined on guitar and Witchfinder started doing only vocals. Then, in 2018 Inquisitor quit the band and Earthquake took over on bass. These changes though haven’t affected the quality, since the new album is (as their debut was) excellent. It has some brilliant ideas that may sound a bit exotic for many of you when you ‘ll hear Egyptian themes (on 2 songs) or the Swedish lyrics (on 4 tracks). For those who dig Swedish heavy metal, will have in their mind some really awesome names that used to sing in their native language. Musically speaking, there are some slow songs that have an almost adventurous structure with mysticism spread while they play and some uptempo songs with high energy fist raising anthemic ones with fast parts and melodic guitars. There are not many differences with its ten years (to be honest all songs were written around 2014-2016 except two that are from 2008!) predecessor as they share the same philosophy and principles but the new album sounds rather mature and focused. Don’t fear its length, as 14 songs are too many for a record indeed, cause this album works as a potpourri of their career and their influences. You know, everything you should ought to know and most of you have never heard…Zone Zero, Grave, Heavy Load, Lezlie Paice, Wizzard, Parasite, Torch, Axewitch and Hydra among so many and all the obscure legends of 70’s and 80’s Swedish scene. Did I mention that sometimes they sound epic too? Epic as fuck actually…
