Review by Felix on September 24, 2023.

"We are Körgull The Exterminator... ...and We are here to Stay!!!!" - this is what the constantly angry band tells us in the booklet of the new album. Well, staying alive is no value in itself. If you do not share this point of view, listen to the fantastic "Defenders of the Faith" - and then take a close look at the average quality of the products of Judas Priest during the last thirty years. Indeed, the Priests are still alive, but their miserable condition cannot be overlooked. Thus, I am glad that this review is not about an album of the comatose Grandfathers from Britain. We are talking about Körgull and they have always been a very predictable partner for their maniacs up till now. Unfortunately, their image gets first cracks in view of the material of "Reborn from the Ashes", because the band makes a serious mistake. Admittedly, "Hatred Rules Again" is a strong number. It shows the typical formula of Körgull's best tunes, because it mixes a drilling riff with fanatic power and a tiny pinch of melody. But this song has already been published on their split with Akerbeltz. To re-release this piece is nothing else but a slap in the face of their most loyal fans, who bought the crudely formatted split while hoping they get exclusive tunes. I don't want to hide the fact that the song appears in a slightly modified form. But come on, who has missed another version of this track?

Apart from this shortcoming, the new album holds another negative surprise. Körgull have lost a certain quantum of their previous insanity. They are still heavier than the largest part of their competitors. But the album does not achieve the level of intensity that "War of the Voivodes" and "Metal Fist Destroyer" reached with great ease. A song like "The Stalker" starts with a riff that Lemmy forgot to present under the banner of Motörhead. The number emanates a dirty rock'n roll feeling, before a break at 1:40 gives way to a more chaotic part. The song cannot be dismissed as irrelevant or useless. But it is not the kind of sonic grenade that makes your blood runs cold and the specific cruelty of Körgull does not show up in its full glory. Rather, they sound like Killer from Belgium after 72 hours without sleep. Anyway, the Spanish horde does not only worship Lemmy. The cover version of Razor's debut classic "Take this Torch" proves the good taste of the band, albeit I am no big fan of cover versions. Finally, it goes without saying, that Voivod is the greatest influence. Roughly 40 seconds of "Traitor's Gate", beginning at 1:27, seem to be stolen from previously unknown leftovers of the "Killing Technology" recording session. The order of the blackguards is still alive!

The song material delivers some highlights. The mixture of a concise riff and rushing high speed parts ennobles the title track. Beats of a timpanist make me think of Celtic Frost, although the hectic "Warriors of the Night" has nothing in common with the Swiss revolutionists. "Wall of the Battlefield" shines with a casual riff without neglecting the necessary degree of hostility. But all in all, the quality of the songs is slightly weaker than it was on the preceding works and the production fails to push the tracks on the next level. Nevertheless, the merciless brutality of the death thrash squadron cannot be completely suppressed. Inter alia the demonic parts of "Hellish Onslaught" leave no doubt that the maniacs of Körgull are still immune against any form of effeminacy. For example, Lillith, the female force at the mic, sounds angry as always and I am sure that a kiss of her is as sweet as a kick in the balls. However, Körgull the Exterminator have released a violent fourth album with little blemishes. Music is naturally always a matter of taste, but the recycling of previously released songs must generally be branded as an objective disadvantage. I hope that they will never fool their most enthusiastic fans again. Otherwise it would be difficult for unforgiving dudes like me to stay loyal.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10