And where you least expect it, the new, third album of the Dutch band “Onheil”, “In Black Ashes”, pops like a tile on the head. We like thrash, we like death, do we also listen to enough black? Do we like riffs, solos? Do we want explosive speeds but also atmospheric passages? All these and more are executed in a very poignant way in “In Black Ashes”. “Onheil” impressed me with their mixing of ideas and influences, which instead of getting tangled and confusing, are easily understood. This is why “In Black Ashes” wins from the first moment. In the compositions, there are sounds of three decades. Black ’90s, death ’00s and thrash ’10s. For the ’20s a band that loves the extreme sound. They are melodic at relentless speeds, and the seven forty-minute or so tracks seem short. Black vocals of two kinds, the second a little heavier. We have three guitars and obviously they are mixed very well. Like Amok’s production is very good and strong.

“In Black Ashes” took me back several years to very good memories of equally successful albums back then. Without implying that it doesn’t sound great for today. I always listen to an album several times to have a clear view and not to have missed something. With this album from the first listen until the time of writing these lines, I am in the same mood and it brings out the same feelings, which means it sounds familiar. The tracks “Night Terror” and “Beneath a Steel Sky” I think I liked the most. In a very well “tied” musical album. “Onheil” should build on a very good album and move on. The nine years since their previous record work is a long time.

Spyros Tribos
8/10

“In Black Ashes” tracklist:

1. Night Terror 04:29
2. In Black Ashes 05:56
3. Like Shadows in the Night 05:26
4. Void 06:26
5. Beneath a Steel Sky 05:13
6. Bloodthirst 06:12
7. Master of Disease 06:29
total 40:11

“In Black Ashes” lineup:

Toorn Drums
Amok Guitars, Vocals
Káosz Guitars
Waanzin Bass, Vocals
Wrok Guitars