Six long years after the release of their last full length album Incorrigible Bigotry the kings of the death metal underground Arghoslent make a triumphant return delivering one of the best albums of the year in this reviewers opinion with Hornets Of the Pogrom, and quite possibly one of the best the genre has ever produced, period. So how does this militant force from the underground suddenly come up and attempt to usurp the death metal crown? Well in actuality Arghoslent aren't exactly what you'd call an overnight sensation because this lethal quartet from Virginia have slowly been perfecting their infectious blend of melodically heavy and so called Totalitarian death metal since 1990.
As for the music itself, well the savage riffs of opening track "In Coffles They Were Led" is an immediate call to arms and should serve notice to the listener that they are in for one hell of a vicious ride as almost immediately you're engulfed by the sheer weight of the dual, in your face, axe attack set forth by Pogrom and Holocausto, along with the equally effective death metal growls by a gentleman who goes by the name of The Genocider. Throughout the course of this eight song, forty minute disc you get not only an abundance of galloping, thick, meaty sounding rhythms and changing tempos, but a massive arsenal of brutal and unique sounding riffs as well. It's been quite awhile since I've heard such a ferocious attack perfectly complimented by an intense regard for melodies, especially with regards to the construction of the solos. This is particularly evident on a cut like "Dog and Broom" and the instrumental title track, which in addition to being a challenging exercise in shifting tempos, further demonstrates their true dedication to the power of the almighty riff.
Hornets Of The Pogrom is an absolutely relentless beast from beginning to end, the music is extremely well written and flawlessly executed. I can't say enough about the abundance of memorable riffs contained within these kick ass jams. If you're looking for a breath of fresh air in this genre of music then look no further than Arghoslent because Hornets Of The Pogrom delivers in spades and definitely confirms it was well worth waiting for!
Track Listing
1) In Coffles They Were Led
2) Swill Of The Knaves
3) Manacled Freightage
4) The Nubian Archer
5) Dog and Broom
6) Oracle of the Malefic Rhizome
7) Hornets of The Pogrom
8) The Grenadier
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