I always enjoy coming across new and unique metal bands and Vegas-based Spiritworld are undoubtedly impressive, a thrashy, gut-punching metal band with a twist of the old west who have morphed into what just may be the planet’s only ‘Death-Western’ band.
To that point, Deathwestern is the title of the band’s new studio album on Century Media, eleven tracks of furious, chugging metal wrapped in a barbed western aesthetic and atmosphere.
There seems to be somewhat of a struggle to clearly define the band’s sound, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there’s a heavy core of thrash metal and death metal that connects everything and an argument could be made for some hardcore elements being in there as well. No matter how you classify it, Deathwestern is a riot to listen to.
The tracks are each punchy, in your face, heavy and delivered with a furious attack that will delight fans of Slayer, early Metallica, Sworn Enemy and even At The Gates (at least in my opinion). There are no half-measures here, your attention is drawn to the fantastic guitar work that companies the assault of the drums and the gravelly vocals will have you screaming along in no time. The bass work holds everything together nicely, adding a gloriously heavy slab of sound underpinning everything.
Spiritworld turned some heads at Bloodstock this year, now with the release of Deathwestern, this caps off an excellent year for the band who are sure to be taking the album on the road and gaining even more attention and traction, this is yet another band that has emerged over the past few years that makes the future of metal look very bright.
Deathwestern is out now via Century Media Records
