Heresiarch - Hammer Of Intransigence

Heresiarch

Hammer Of Intransigence
Dark Descent Records

Following on from their cassette only demo ‘Obsecrating The Global Holocaust’ that was released not long ago through U.S. label Satanic Skinhead Propaganda, Auckland/Wellington (New Zealand) based outfit Heresiarch has returned with their official debut E.P. release ‘Hammer Of Intransigence’.
Having given listeners a taste of what to expect with the release of their demo, Heresiarch (Who comprise of vocalist Nathan Hutchison, Diocletian guitarist Joel Baldwin, bassist Marcus H. and Diocletian/Apocalypse Command/Witchrist drummer Cameron James Sinclair) have well and truly stepped up their sound with their latest release, with ‘Hammer Of Intransigence’ a truly chaotic blast of blackened death metal that is a hostile soundtrack to the listener’s descent to hell.
The opening track ‘Abomination’ (Which was put together by fellow Wellington artist soundscape Fenrirsson of the rather mysterious Vánargandr) is a rather fitting introduction to the album, with the short piece serving up a mixture of air raid sirens, screams and all manner of apocalyptic sounds to what is undoubtedly the front gates to Armageddon.
As the opener fades into the background, Heresiarch unleashes their ungodly noise via the follow-on track ‘Carnivore’ (Which is a reworking of ‘Man Is Carnivore’ from their demo). Blindingly fast, crushingly heavy and filled with plenty of duality on the vocal front (Guttural grows and traded off with higher end screaming), ‘Carnivore’ is a complete onslaught of pure blackened death metal right from the start, and only offers a reprieve around the tail end where the band make the transition towards a slower paced and crushingly heavy doom finish.
The chaotic and raging ‘Iconoclasm’ is a worthy stand-out cut with its relentless blast beats and grindcore-like guitar riffing, while ‘Thunorrad’ and ‘Conflagration’ are noteworthy for their more rhythmic and groovier riff structures (Which surprisingly manage to rise above the volume of aggression the band churn out in lightning speed), and the sporadic and unhinged lead guitar solos dotted throughout the former.
Finishing up the E.P. is ‘Intransigent’, which is another track where the band indulges more in the doom metal sound that was previously heard on the second half of ‘Carnivore’ mixed with plenty of the speed and aggression shown throughout most of the songs on the E.P., making the song another real stand out.
Heresiarch aren’t really going out of their way to do anything new within the black/death metal scene, and unless you have an ear for this style of black/death, you could be forgiven for saying that after a while, all the tracks seem to blend into one another.
But for those who relish uncompromising aggression and crushing brutality with an emphasis on the bare basics, you have little to complain about after giving this a few spins.

For more information on Heresiarch, check out - http://www.facebook.com/heresiarchcult

© Justin Donnelly