Hell:On - 2024 - Shaman

(41:50; Archivist Records)






















Track list:
1. What Steppes Dream About 4:41
2. When the Wild Wind and the Soul of Fire Meet 5:58
3. Tearing Winds of Innerself 3:43
4. Preparation for the Ritual 5:06
5. He with the Horse’s Head 5:37
6. A New Down 5:12
7. I Am the Path 4:27    
8. Shaman 7:06

Line-up:
Oleksandr Baev - vocals
Oleksandr Sitalo - bass
Oleh Talanov - drums
Anton Vorozhtsov - guitars, sitar, percussion, synthesizers
Oleksiy Pasko - guitars


Ukraine band Hell:On have been a going concern for 20 years at this point, with this seasoned unit releasing new material at a fairly regular pace over the years. They have seven full length album to their name as of 2025. The most recent of these is "Shaman", which was released through Ukraine label Archivist records back in the spring of 2024.

Extreme metal is the chosen hunting ground for this band, and they go about it in a rather intense and vibrant manner. A bit of a prerequisite needed to enjoy this album is to find pleasure in landscapes with a more purebred high level of intensity throughout.

Vibrant, high tension, high pace and intense escapades is a staple on this production, with a fine balance between steady going hard escapades, passages with fluctuating patterns in good use and with circulating patterns being just as much of a staple. With liberal use of impact moments and more powerful, bombastic displays of majestic surges being called upon to boot. Slower paced brief flirts with thrash metal is a part of the proceedings here, but while slower paced than the rest one may not describe them as slow paced interludes as such. Although we do get a little bit of a doom metal inspired arrangement blended with extreme metal intensity towards the end, in the concluding title track 'Shaman'.

The hard, powerful and vibrant escapades that define this production are given some moments and expanded with some details that add a more delicate touch to the proceedings. Most prominently by instrument and vocal details that reference back to folk music and at times tribal folk music too, but we also get occasional additions of atmospheric laden details that expand the boundaries of the landscape explored here.

In terms of variation, the raspy, aggressive and slightly distorted lead vocals serve as an ongoing contrast to the more hard, firm and powerful tiff and rhythm cascades that are provided, a slight contrast that does a good job of creating and maintaining a natural tension throughout. While a high quality mix and production ensures that all the elements combine in a compelling manner and that there is a balance between power, distortion and melodic intent.

Those who tend to enjoy the more vibrant yet also well produced varieties of a more intense form of extreme metal will find a lot to enjoy in the bombastic escapades by Hell:On we are provided with on this creation. A certain affection for folk music elements and tribal music details in such a context is a bit of a required element to be able to enjoy the landscapes explored here. But for those who find this to be a generally interesting addition to a high energy and bombastic variety of extreme metal, this album should be quite the enjoyable experience I gather.

Olav M. Björnsen, February 2025

Links:
https://www.hell-on.net/
https://archivist-records.com/

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