### Hell-born: Darkness

#### 21/04/10 || Khlysty

You know, I’m really tired. Physically and mentally tired. I’ve been working like a fucking mule for so long, that I’ve started to develop a physical repulsion when approaching a computer: I don’t want to write any more. But, you know, one has to do what he has to do and, when it comes to GD, one has to do the best, period. You don’t maintain a musical site for six years, going strong, without devoting your energy and your focus in producing the best possible reviews and giving to your audience the whole picture. Anyway, here I am, ready to tell you what you REALLY need to know about Hell-born and their 2008 record, minimally called “Darkness”.

Hell-born hails from Poland, a true festering hole when it comes to producing quality metal, and they play what I can call a kind of streamlined death metal, peppered with elements of black metal and industrial over/undertones, which reminds me the most “Obsolete”-era Fear Factory, but with more rawness and brutality. The songs in “Darkness” generally move with a brisk pace, propelled forward by fast –and, probably, triggered- drumming, tremolo picked guitar playing and mostly intelligible death-grunts. The band gives a lot of care to write memorable and hook-laden melodies and sounds really tight and professional, as far as instrumental prowess and production is concerned.

Here and there, the band inserts samples of spoken word, which enhance the Christian-hating lyrics, but also become a bit tiresome after a while (okay, we know that you hate Christianity, you’re not alone in it, now get on with it…). The production, as I’ve already said, is pretty pro: clear and powerful, with an undercurrent of mechanical coldness, that, along with the samples, creates what can be construed as an industrial ambiance. The guitars sound lively, whether creating a downtuned background, or moving to upper-register, tremolo-picked phrases and solos. The fact that the songs move within the five-minute length guarantees that redundancy is kept to a minimum, while some thrashy elements which enter the songwriting add a bit a’ flava to the whole mix.

So, is it any good, this “Darkness” thingy? Well, it’s okay, as far as my ears tell me: the songs are good, the performances professional, the production good,… y’know, everything is well. Of course, I wouldn’t call it a watershed release, since bands like The Amenta has done this kind of thing in a much better, more strung-out and relentless way. Anyway, the bottom line is that if you like your death metal enhanced with elements of industrial and black metal and you don’t have a lot of requirements, Hell-born might easily be your kind of poison.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Witching Hour Prod.
- Website: Hell-born MySpace
- Band
- Baal Ravenlock: vocals, bass
- Les: guitars
- Dino: lead guitar
- Paul: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Refuse to serve
- 02. (I am) the thorn in the crown
- 03. Curse me and I win
- 04. Darkness
- 05. In Satan we trust
- 06. Submission
- 07. The black of me
- 08. Hellfire
- 09. Dead don’t preach