Back in the day, long before Slayer existed as band, Belshazzar was seated on the throne in the palace in Babylon, holding a big feast. While partying it up, sacred
vessels were taken from the Jerusalem Temple. They drank wine from these vessels while praising the Babylonian gods, thus profaning Yahweh. A disembodied hand appears and writes “Mene Tequel Ufarsim,” the name of the new Doomsday Hymn album, on the wall of the palace. After several failed attempts to interpret, Daniel is sent for and interprets the message as the end of the Babylonian kingdom. Later on that night, Belshazzar is killed and Babylon taken over. This makes for a perfect segue for the band Doomsday Hymn to plug in their instruments and play majestic thrash as the backdrop for the sacking of Babylon.
Doomsday Hymn are a Brazillian band. One of the guitarists from another band I like, Seven Angels (on Bombworks Records), joined up with this band. To my ears, they sound as good and tight as Sepultura. They released their debut EP in 2013, and Rotweiller Records picked them up for this record. As I write, they are playing all over Central America for several months. The live footage I’ve seen showcases their great stage presence. Singer Gil Lopes is an aggressive frontman with a love for his craft.
All the right ingredients are here: fast and technical guitar, a roaming, growly bass, brutal vocals, and tight, tight drums. Be forewarned that the album is sung entirely in Portuguese. Yes, this is an amazing effort, and it is not metalcore.
So if you are a fan of the old school, do yourself a solid and check out their YouTube videos. Then go to: http://www.rottweilerrecords.bigcartel.com/ and get their new album.
[2015 Rottweiler Records | Purchase: rottweilerrecords.bigcartel.com]
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