Music review: Satan's Hallow - Satan's Hallow (2017)
It's really rare for a new, traditionally styled heavy metal band to really grab me. Between endless, inferior imitations of the genre's legends and production values that rarely sit well with me, it can be a bit of a slog sometimes. Although admittedly there's really not much new ground to be broken with this style, not every band is automatically doomed. Bands whose influences are immediately obvious can still be good, provided that the songwriting is solid and the derivation isn't too egregious. This is one of those bands. First, and most importantly, let's talk about the fucking riffs! This album has them in spades! From the Maiden-ish opening volley of Reaching for the Night, to the NWOBHM swagger of the title track, you'll be banging your head from start to finish! Von Jugel and Steve "Lethal" Beaudette are definitely a duo to watch in the coming years, and they can really do no wrong here. Frequent lead guitar flourishes make things feel a bit