ALL HELL "The Witch's Grail"

ALL HELL

“The Witch’s Grail”

ALL HELL are from the very fertile North Carolina metal scene and have come up with a pretty pleasing album that manages to combine oldschool and modern underground metal in a way that should work for fans of both eras.

The songs are clipped and to the point with one major exception. The bands that come most frequently to mind when listening to “The Witch’s Grail” are GOATWHORE and SKELETONWITCH. They have that feeling of thrash and black metal mashed together, with rasping sandpaper vocals screeching over all. “Tonight We Ride” has a kind of BATHORY groove to it that tickles the darkened soul. The tunes are easy to get into, with “Where Devils Once Danced” (which starts out almost like NAZARETH’s “Hair of the Dog”!) and “Into The Trees” being standouts. There’s a feeling of punk and doom lingering to ALL HELL, but the production is generally sharp and clear. Last cut “The Invisible World” tries for something longer and more atmospheric, but I’d stick with the shorter cuts, myself.

The only real strong complaint I have is a weak and cartoony looking cover, which doesn’t hint at the metal contained within. “The Witch’s Grail” is not a revolutionary work of art but will provide about a half hour of solid metallic entertainment.

PROSTHETIC RECORDS

ALL HELL