1. Discdere 04:04
2. Holy Death 05:48
3. Decadend Brutality 05:01
4. Darkness of Soul 04:25
5. ... 01:07
6. Voice of War 03:17
7. Clarity of Shade 04:18
8. Mecanix of Unconsciousness 03:28
9. Hellfernum 08:06
10. Macabre Gearing 03:39
11. Hates Comes from God 03:16
SOUTH OF HELL strikes hard with HELLFERNUM, an old school Death Metal album infused with a touch of Black Metal.
With “Hellfernùm,” South of Hell deliver a darkly seething extreme metal album that focuses on atmosphere, suspense, and a pleasantly sinister pull that runs through almost the entire playing time, rather than a blunt, continuous attack. Spoiler alert: this is going to be awesome!
The opening tracks “Discdere” and “Holy Death” make it immediately clear that melody and darkness go hand in hand here. The riffs are biting but never chaotic, and the vocals sound more like an incantation than mere screaming. Tracks like “Darkness Of Soul” and “Voice Of War” thrive on their dense, oppressive atmosphere. The album is particularly strong when South of Hell combine pressure and atmosphere. “Clarity Of Shade” and “Mecanix of Unconsciousness” develop an almost hypnotic flow without losing any of their heaviness. The clear highlight, however, is the overlong title track “Hellfernùm”: epic in scope, heavy, dark, and with just the right sense of Drama.
The production remains pleasantly raw, but differentiated enough so that the guitar work doesn't get lost in the fog. A minor criticism is that some riff ideas are somewhat similar and not every song immediately sticks in your mind.
Nevertheless, “Hellfernùm” is a strong, atmospheric album full of darkness and intensity. It's not a genre-defining album, but it's a damn convincing overall package.
