New year, new Metal. Blood Storm is one of my favorite bands to come out of the Philadelphia scene in the 90s. Ancient Wrath of Ku and The Atlantian Wardragon are classic albums that if you’ve never heard them, I’ll wait while you go listen… okay I’m back. Badass, right? They put out their last album in 2022 Cursedness of the Cinder Witch and then… nothing. Until now.

Former Blood Storm bassist and long-time Incantation member Chuck Sherwood has put together Balefire. There’s not much about who else is in the band other than Sherwood but right now I’m interested in how killer this fifteen-minute epic Death Metal mutation that’s just really goddamn fun to listen to.

Straightaway there are forty-three seconds of horrors with “Black Sun” before “Sands of Gemini” kicks off good and proper with this perfect blend of chaotic blasting, and razor-sharp riffs and its 3:27 runtime is put to its limits.

This is a brutal album. For some odd reason, I’m associating their name and the song “Wildfire” by Destroyer 666, I don’t know… don’t judge ha-ha! But it could also be that I get a little taste of Destroyer 666 peppered in Balefire’s grisly delivery, and it’s not the only influence because of course there’s going to be an Incantation connected sound and it’s mixed about and suitably salted with some Angelcorpse.

“Barbaric Rebirth” is next and it’s, naturally, another go for the soft bits; full of (literal) war lust and sheer nihilistic rage. Satiated they move onto “Lord of the Red Lands” and there are plenty of riffs to go around, this is a merciless display and I’m crossing my fingers that there will be a follow-up that’s longer.

There’s a final respite found in “Black Moon”, but if you’re like me you’ll just set it on repeat and let it beat you in the head all day long. The things I do for you, constant reader.

I digress, if you’re a fan of blood-soaked, brain hemorrhage-inducing Blackened Death Metal warfare then you need look no further than Balefire; for you fans of Sadistic Intent, ‘90s Vader and of course Incantation and the immortal Blood Storm. Get this fucker and feel your soul rot.

 

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