Mid-Hertfordshire thrash metal band Helgrind was formed in 2000, and after a few line up changes, Helgrind have found their feet, settled their line up and are steadily growing a world wide fan base.
In the early days the band listened mainly to Sepultura, Slayer, Overkill, Testament and Exodus though their early music showed that there was more to the band than copying their favourite artist’s styles. In the later days as new members came along each brought their individual style to the band including influences such as Pantera, In Flames, Machine Head and Arch Enemy.
With a well rehearsed set and hundreds of shows under their belt, that included headline shows in iconic venues such as The Red Eye, the Ruskin Arms, Bull & Gate, the Underworld in London, Club 85, and The Horn in Hertfordshire as part of their local scene and shows with “Return to the Sabbat” in Bradford and Leeds. Helgrind delivered a fast, aggressive sound and soon started causing mayhem in the pit with their no-nonsense brutal pounding speed on their first UK tour in 2005, the same year as the first full length album “Denial” was released.
Helgrind started to appeal to all metal music fans, their music crosses between Thrash, Death and Black Metal with diverse melodic undertows and an aggressive vocal sound that carry the ethos of the band to higher statures and charge the band with the determination and brutality that was true in Helgrind from the beginning.
In 2007, Helgrind signed to Casket Music and recorded “Fallen Prophet” the first of two recordings to be released through the label.
In 2008, “Religious Persecution” the second full album which gave Helgrind worldwide recognition was released. Helgrind embarked on the “UK Persecution” tour, firstly with Portugal’s “WAKO” and then with Italy’s “Several Union”. The band were invited for interview on US radio five times since “Religious Persecution’s” release and discovered that the album was reportedly a keen listen by some members of “Iron Maiden”, with “Death Squad” being played on the “Bruce Dickinson BBC Radio Show”.
Interview features in “Legacy magazine” in Germany and “Zero Tolerance magazine” and well received reviews in “Metal Hammer” and “Kerrang!” to name a few, Helgrind have set their stall out for a follow up album.
Inquisition Album
Helgrind decided to move in a different direction with their third full album, using Nick Hemingway to record and produce the new album and try to give the band a more modern sound than they feel they got on the last few releases. Once again using the Philia Studios in Henley, Oxon the band have recorded 11 new tracks.
When writing Inquisition the band decided to become more creative with their style, that’s not to say they have tamed down their music with some lame, limp excuse for a thrash metal album. On the contrary “Inquisition” is even more brutal and aggressive than it’s predecessors but with some subtlety that all metal fans will appreciate. Once again the band refuse to be pigeon holed and have crossed the whole of the heavy metal genre to produce this album.
They have moved away from the usual god hating lyrics to more sublime thinking, insanity and anti-humanistic torture. The music is heavy, fast and aggressive. It pauses to give moments in the eye of the storm before delivering you back to hell.
There is no under lying message to this album, just sit back listen and have fun and if you haven’t already got one, now is the time to get your neck brace you will need it!
|