Verdalack – Force from the Grave (Vampiric Blackened Speed Punk)
Uh oh we got a band using a vampire term for their name. That could be bad… But, lol, hey, they’re from Japan, so trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Any band from Japan can take any genre and make it better than it ever was, especially when it comes to metal. Now, this isn’t the first time the Japanese have conquered speed metal, of course, and I don’t need to name drop, you can do that on your own. Verdalack, without getting into the etymology of the term, brings their speed with blackened, vampire energy! Not explicitly, mind you, but inherent to the sound is a great sense of crafting power from darkness.
Let’s start by understanding that these guys put their pale feet to the pedal immediately. No brakes, just driving this vehicular homicide straight into your ribs, crushing everything within. Though there’s an essence of classic speed metal within Force from the Grave, it’s the punk snarl it brings that changes the entire atmosphere. Plus, the vocal style of lead “Villain” isn’t typical, either. We have the expected street punk aggression, at times, but combined with the slightly heavy metal tone and just a touch of unironic evil and you get something entirely different. The riffing keeps it razor-sharp that, when mixed with some power-metal heroics, never fails to keep monotony staked to the earth. With a 1980s-inspired production, Verdalack demand of their listeners an insta-pit, with cigarette smoke, and grave soil, combined.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Verdalack – Force from the Grave
Hells Headbangers Records
Cover Art: Velio Josto
4.7 / 5
