Friends Of Hell – God Damned You To Hell – Album Review

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Lodge that tongue firmly in your cheek and prepare for Friends Of Hell to fill your day with the kind of old-school doom metal that made the 80’s so damn enjoyable!

With Albert Witchfinder (Reverend Bizarre) gone, the Friends Of Hell of 2024 is a different beast to that which gave us 2022’s self-titled debut….but the outcome is reassuringly familiar. In comes Per “Hellbutcher” Gustavsson (Nifelheim / Necrocurse) – whose vocals are the biggest and most welcome surprise of this release – and plenty of big beautiful riffs come courtesy of Beelzeebubth (Mystifier) and Nikolas Moutafis (Solitary Sabred, Mirror). The result is an absolute blast from a band who repeatedly hit that traditional doom sweet spot and bring a wave of warm nostalgia for the olde world flooding back.

Let’s face it, Lee Dorrian’s Rise Above Records rarely puts a foot wrong and God Damned You To Hell is yet another impressive addition to the roster. “Bringer of Evil” is trad metal heaven (listen for yourself) – less doom and more fist-pumping, storm the castle walls classic metal with a Satanic twist – while “Snakes Not Sons” is prime Sabbath through and through and first ‘single’ “Gran Inquisidor” provides the requisite unearthly Hammer-Horror inspired grandeur that proves nigh on impossible to resist. “WITCH!”

With obvious nods to Witchfinder General (obviously), Pentagram, Sabbath and (unsurprisingly) Cathedral, the greats of doom are honoured but Friends Of Hell are their own entity; breathing putrid life into an often moribund genre and having a fuckin’ great time while doing it.

Such fun! 8/10

Friends Of Hell‘s God Damned You To Hell is out on April 12th 2024 via Rise Above Records