Ελληνικά
Genre: Speed/Heavy Metal
Country: Belgium
Label: High Roller Records
Year:2026
The one and only ACID, those Bruges-born speed metal trailblazers from 1980 (originally Precious Page), always rode at the front of Europe’s nascent metal charge. With Kate de Lombaert’s razor-sharp vocals leading guitarists Dirk Simoens (Dizzy Lizzy) and Donald Devers (Demon), bassist Peter (T-Bone), and drummer Geert (Anvill), they unleashed three killers on Giant Records: Acid (1983), Maniac (1983), and Engine Beast (1985). Then, silence—until Kate revived the beast in 2019 as KATE’S ACID, hitting stages like Keep It True and dropping the acclaimed live scorcher Blowing Your Ears Off (2024). Now, Hellbender arrives as their first studio salvo in four decades, nine tracks of unadulterated old-school fury that prove Kate’s still got the throttle wide open.
This new lineup—Kate on mic, Geert Annys shredding guitars, Colombian powerhouse Camilo (Thunder Screamer) Ortega (Axe Steeler) on bass, and Ash behind the kit—spans Belgium, Colombia, and Berlin’s Jacky Lehmann studio for a mix that’s raw, punchy, and gloriously analog. “I wanted to make a new studio album for a very long time,” Kate explains, “but did not find the right musicians. It was time to break the silence.” Mission accomplished: Hellbender roars like a legitimate sequel to Maniac, blending blistering speed, biker anthems, and even a surprise epic, all steeped in that classic ACID venom.
Kicking off with the title track “Hellbender,” twin guitars clash like lightning rods, Kate’s banshee wail cutting through galloping riffs and Ash’s thunderous double-kick assault. Ortega’s bass locks in tight, evoking the ’80s glory without a whiff of nostalgia bait—pure adrenaline. “Taking Back My Wings” follows, a mid-tempo stomper with soaring hooks that reclaim ACID’s defiant spirit, Kate snarling about rebirth amid chugging axes.
The real speed demons ignite next. “The Lightning Conductor” is a bolt-from-the-blue rager, riffs zipping at manic velocity while Kate commands the storm—think early Running Wild meets ACID’s original bite. “Riding Out” channels pure biker metal, wind-in-your-face chorus begging for road trips and fist pumps, guitars dueling in greasy harmony. Then comes “Do Not Burn The Witch,” a hook-laden powerhouse with occult swagger (no Venom rip-off here—just righteous fury), Kate’s delivery dripping menace over relentless thrash grooves.
Kate’s Acid doesn’t coast: “Valkyrie” summons Norse thunder with galloping rhythms and epic leads, while “Buccaneers” pillages like a sea-shanty speed metal raid, infectious and rowdy. “Stormchaser” builds to hurricane-force riffage, Ortega’s bass rumbling like an earthquake under Ash’s barrage. The album’s wildcard? “Air Raid,” their first ballad—a haunting, pain-soaked epic mirroring global chaos. “For everything there has to be a first time,” Kate laughs. Slow-burn guitars swell into a crushing crescendo, her vocals aching with raw emotion; it’s Dio-esque vulnerability amid the mayhem.
Hellbender clocks in lean and lethal at 45 minutes, every song a contender that honors ACID’s pioneers while forging ahead. Production nails that ’80s sheen—crisp yet gritty, no modern polish dulling the edge. Old fans will revel in Kate’s undimmed fire; newcomers get schooled in Euro-speed metal’s roots.
