Nunslaughter – Hex & Unhallowed Thoughts and Nasty Novel Nugget

Nunslaughter’s career has been very long (founded in 1987) but they’re still alive and in a pretty good form. This Pittsburgh-based act has been around long enough to know how to play decent death metal, over the years proving themselves to be one of the most hardworking and productive bands nowadays. In addition to the awesome band name, in the time of its original recording, we’ve also got entertaining stage-names for the members of the band; Don of the Dead (vocals & bass) Reaper (guitars) and Jim Sadist (drums). Current line-up is a bit different though, still containing Don of the Dead, who’s now accompanied by Tormentor (guitars), Wrath (drums) and Detonate (bas).

The list of their releases is pretty impressive and giant, so I have no intention to go further into their discography. Meanwhile, I want to introduce you to Hex, a full-length album by the these devil death metal masters! This is actually the 2 CD version from Polish-based Old Temple Records, where disc one contains just mentioned Hex, and disc two contains tracks from two different rehearsals; the Unhallowed Thoughts and Nasty Novel Nugget, with amazing 27 tracks in total.

Hex consists of 18 rather short (hardly reaching 2 minutes) and blasphemous cuts. At first listen it feels as nothing exceptional or standout here, but after the second or third spin one starts to enjoy in the songs that are fun and catchy. It’s kinda fun when it’s on as songs follow each other quickly. You can’t really go wrong with a band that hates Christianity this much. On the other hand the lyrics are pretty dumb and mediocre. I was not into the guitar tone either, but other than this, Hex has many interesting moments and particularly catchy death metal parts.

Hex opens with “This Is Fucking War”, a quick opening song with fast and speedy riffs, hellish blastbeats and raspy death metal vocals. But if you think it’s all about relentless speed, on the contrary – there’re quite a few songs where they rely on groove and melody more than speed. It’s perfectly exemplified with tracks as; “To Defile”, “Unbaptized” and “Slaughter The Heavens”. It’s cool that the trio give the listener something they didn’t necessary expect, with a minor break away from traditional old-school death/thrash/speed metal sonic assaults. The title-track “Hex” (see official video below) is another track that I will shortly mention from disc one, as this song grabbed my attention immediately. It has this controlled yet chaotic start and end of the song, while the middle section of the song has their usual death metal onslaught. Unlike some of the other lyrics, I think that the lyrical content of this song is hillarious, comical and creative.

The band is clearly not concerned with sounding pretty and polished, but I think it’s a bit of a shame that recording is so poor as the case is here. Rawness is not a problem for this style of metal, but a muddy mix that leaves the guitars thin and the vocals way out in front hurts esp. the album Hex. Second CD, Unhallowed Thoughts and Nasty Novel Nugget is pretty much as expected, raw and unpolished tracks from two different rehearsals.

Having criticized the lyrical content and overall low production, but I have to give them a credit they deserve, as each member seems to believe in what the band plays and it really shows. Thus, we witness some excellent musicianship and controlled blasts of varied death metal. The band formed in 1987 still stick to their trademark sound; a primitive, raw and satanic form of death metal. I think I can hear some Venom, Master, Baphomet, Septicflesh, Autopsy, and similar old-school death acts’ influences here.

Overall, Hex & Unhallowed Thoughts and Nasty Novel Nugget are two CD’s of pure unabashed metal, loaded with all the elements that made raw thrash and the beginnings of death metal so urgent and barbaric. If you don’t need anything particularly technical or perfectly produced old-school death metal, or if you’re the act’s follower, or even if you’re a nun, then I recommend Nunslaughter.

For further info on this particular release from Nunslaughter go to https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/nunslaughter-hex