The gloomy and industrial-tinged intro which starts Hellion Rising's sophomore EP 'Eight of Swords', together with the band's name and the titles on the release, and the whole artwork with its occult symbolism, made me await for some kind of horror-themed stoner metal, but weird enough, it's not like that.

'The Beast', the first song proper, is more akin to Orange Goblin and such breed of timeless rock music gunners. It's a rather well-rolling and catchy piece of above-mid-tempo action. It's partly very familiar and it doesn't flash any new tricks, but none was expected. One of the heaviest song here is 'Wretch Nailed Tongue' with its sturdy heavy metal foot-stomping and double kick drumming. Slower 'Bereavement of the Chimes' paces into doom metal territory and is the second one of the heaviest. While these two songs contain different elements, they still are stoner metal at their hearts. 'Goat Charmer' is more laid-back, but the groove the band hits after 4 minute mark is greatest gear they hit here. It simply engrosses a listener with magical drive. The closer 'Just for Tonight' is the most English-sounding song on offer, and also the most melodic one. NWOBHM elements are truly tasty for any Anglophile, let me tell you!

Generally, the songs aren't totally straight, but include enough bits and parts for a listener to chew on. Sometimes the vocals remind of James Hetfield, when he decided to sing something else than metal; they're okay for this kind of music, but singing skills aren't very high. The lyrics seem to deal with emotions and human vanity. The guitar playing, including the bass, can get quite lively at times, definitely adding plenty next to sometimes blunt riffing.

Sound-wise this is somewhat powerless, missing on low bass frequencies. On the other hand it is well enough balanced, meaning that every instrument has its place and spectrum in the mix. So it's a bit sad that the bass guitar has a dirty tone, but it's still not rumbling like it should. The drums sound flat.

All in all this EP is a promising stoner metal release from young-ish band. It does feel like a demo, though. It looks professionally done, but the sound debunks it. However, if you have a taste for stoner metal, this 30-minute trip into timeless music is worth to be inspected. I bet they rock live!

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
11/17/2014 00:03