As I quite enjoyed Mpire of Evil's debut EP Creatures of the Black I've been handed the task of reviewing their first album Hell to the Holy. The best things about Creatures of the Black were the cover versions so it has to be asked – have Mpire of Evil got their shit together in terms of writing their own songs this time round? Well, yes and no. Mpire of Evil do everything that one would expect from a band consisting of Venom alumni – "Metal Messiah" in particular is a fantastic guitar-fuelled ride –"Metal is our law," indeed. They have changed so little that drummer Antton has already forsaken the drum stool well before the album hits the shops!
Some of the album is sub Motorhead rubbish – "Waking Up Dead" for instance but overall more than shows that there's life in the old dogs yet especially when the get heavier as on the title track and the Sabbath like "The 8th Gate".
Track Listing
1. Hellspawn
2. Metal Messiah
3. Waking Up Dead
4. Hell To the Holy
5. Snake Pit
6. All Hail
7. Devil
8. Shockwave
9. The 8th Gate
10. M-Pire (Prelude)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
