DEVASTATOR - Conjurers Of Cruelty
March 1, 2024, a month ago
(Listenable)
UK blackthrashers Devastator are back with album number two here, and the title track's opening riff gives a solemn nod to Slayer's “Seasons In The Abyss”, and I approve, before things take a step back as far as personality goes. But they go up a notch up in intensity, so, fair trade, maybe.
“Black Witchery” brings the fun Lemmy-lovin' scuzz riffing to the bike rally (Toxic Holocaust and Midnight are headlining); “Necromantic Lust” encapsulates everything I love about this microgenre so well, just the burning-hell two-step polka of death through and through, sly grins all around. Every song here, really, is a pleasure to listen to, but the issue is one inherent to the genre: these records can't be long or they just become a chore to get through.
51 minutes of this is a huge ask, and while I have fun during the first half, during the second, it's more of a task than anything (granted, two of these are CD-only bonus tracks, but, still). You lose power for every minute past 30 you go with this stuff, so why push it?
So that's gonna make repeat listens a bit of a challenge, but I still like the songs, I like the spirit and attitude, and I also like the raw production sound, which matches the ugly, tossed-off feel perfectly. Give me a four-song EP and I'll be a happy blackthrasheadbanger.
