"Hellish crossfire on wooden coffins"; this phrase will always remind me to the mighty Hellhammer, because this was the morbid description, their drummer used for his style of playing. This German thrash metal outfit has not much in common with Hellhammer, soundwise, but they are strongly influenced from that kind of thrash metal, I loved to hear in the mid-80's. Well, after 27 years, I still love this band. Apart of influences from groups like the untouchable Venom, Slayer and Hellhammer,  Germany was one of the best spots for aggressive thrash metal in the 1980‘s, and bands like Sodom, Kreator, Assassin or Living Death will always belong to the cornerstones of this genre.

A band like Sodom also influenced hordes of black metal bands, and HELLISH CROSSFIRE have also this kind of proto black metal sound, although this album is actually purest thrash metal. HELLISH CROSSFIRE are ruthlessly tight and here are several moments of potent cerebral brutality', with a suitably gnarly production. The album showcases the band’s abilities with frequent changes of pace and rhythm, from turbo-charged, ultra-tight galloping riffs to more mid-tempo sections, and they always stand their ground. ‘Slaves Of The Burning Pentagram' has been available on vinyl limited to 500 copies only, and so it really makes sense, that I Hate Records did this re-release, repackaged with new artwork and additional 8 page booklet. Especially in trendy times like this, I totally welcome a release like this. This is definitely one to watch out for! Damn good!

(KK)

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