Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 31 Jan 2025
Tracklist:
1. Black Sun
2. Sands of Gemini
3. Star-born Revolt
4. Barbaric Rebirth
5. Lord of the Red Lands
6. Black Moon
While the finger tries to stay on the pulse, the hand of time does it no favours. That's no ancient proverb, but a way of eluding to the fact that we're already well into April and I'm still trying hopelessly to hang on given the pace of new releases. This debut EP from US death metal band Balefire was released at the end of January via Iron Bonehead Productions, both on vinyl and digital formats.
Balefire is a duo consisting of bassist Chuck Sherwood (of Incantation, Occumancy, etc) and drummer Xander Bridge (of Eternal, Nuclear Remains and many others). With the EP lasting no longer than fifteen minutes, expect a barrage of intense death, black and thrash metal with plenty of old-school passion.
I’m going on a much needed week away on Friday so this review will be my last for the month (definitely putting quality over quantity!). Brand new barbaric death metal from an equally new US duo as Balefire kick off with ‘Black Sun’, a brooding and artistic intro free from the usual electronic embellishments. It’s incredibly freeing to be able to listen to a band who approach their music with such simplicity. Just drums, vocals and bass (though there may be an additional guitar in there, but I can’t tell for certain). Either way ‘Sands of Gemini’ sounds absolutely fantastic in all it’s satanic death metal glory.
One thing that’s really refreshing about this release is how precise and short the songs are. ‘Star-born Revolt’ proves exactly that point with a mix of brutal low-end vocals, warp-speed percussive blasts and metallic undertones. Listening to ‘Barbaric Rebirth’ following the Easter Monday passing of the world’s leading (living) religious figure makes complete sense. I’m not religious in the slightest, so knowing that there won’t be a true rebirth is comforting. ‘Barbaric Rebirth’ itself throws you straight into the EP’s latter half with no time for sentiment, as Balefire infuse their death metal with a welcome doom hit.
Talking of doom, the EP’s longest song ‘Lord of the Red Lands’ is filled with it amongst the sewer-laden death metal. Despite the promise of a properly arduous march though, Balefire don’t abandon what they do best and allow their frenetic pace to dominate one final time, as EP closer ‘Black Moon’ leaves you with gut-wrenching vocal effects and unnerving ambience.
As debut releases go, this is spot on. It contains enough material to get you hooked without being overblown. Just really good death metal filled with black metal intensity and a decent amount of downtempo atmosphere.
You can stream and purchase the EP digitally via Iron Bonehead Productions below:-
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Iron Bonehead Productions, so what better way to celebrate than to pick a physical copy of this EP and/or any of the other exceptional releases from the label via this link - https://shop.ironbonehead.de/
Iron Bonehead Productions - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions