Review by Norbert on August 2, 2026.

I’ve mentioned more than once that Gene Palubicki is a death metal beast. A fucking monster. Whatever he touches turns into deadly gold. On “Crucificial Imprecations” — the second album by Hexorcist, which premiered yesterday — he is supposedly responsible only for the vocals, but… There are voices that are suited for radio, some for audiobooks, and then there are those that make milk go sour all by themselves. Palubicki’s voice definitely belongs to the third category.

“Crucificial Imprecations” is a great piece of well-played old-school death metal. Without pretending that 1989 never ended, but also without forcing modern tricks into the mix. The ghosts of Morbid Angel, Angelcorpse, Possessed and Necrovore hover over this material like sulfur over a cauldron in Hell, but Hexorcist don’t sound like a band replaying somebody else’s riffs. It is a tribute to the old school written by musicians for whom old school is simply natural. “Crucificial Imprecations” is like an old tank. It isn’t the most agile or shiny, and it doesn’t have any modern gadgets, but once it starts moving — you’d better get out of the way.

There is no ear-tickling here. A short introduction and then, all the way to the end, an uninterrupted barrage of riffs, insane solos and tempos that effectively test the durability of your neck. There are no slowdowns simply to demonstrate that the band can play slower. “Crucificial Imprecations” is like a bar fight — it starts suddenly, lasts briefly, and when it’s over, there are broken chairs lying everywhere. There is no obligatory ballad or acoustic interlude. Hexorcist have set a course for total annihilation and don’t deviate from it for a single moment. Here, rest is scheduled only after the final track.

The album’s greatest strength is the riffs. There are tons of them, but each has its place. They come one after another like punches delivered with brass knuckles — not every one knocks you out immediately, but every one leaves a mark. There is no mindless grinding or technical showing off for the sake of showing off. On top of that, there are wild, at times downright hysterical solos that perfectly complement this controlled chaos. They come crashing in like a madman with a machete entering an elevator — they cause fucking mayhem and disappear before you have time to catch your breath.

The sound is raw, rough, and organic. Nothing has been polished here — the guitars bite, the drums smack you in the face, and the whole thing carries that pleasant stench of old death metal records, from a time when having a perfect mix was less important than making sure pure evil poured from the speakers. This sound is like a rusty knife — far from sterile perfection, but precisely because of that, it hurts more.

Eight tracks, just over half an hour, and not a second of filler. The material ends exactly when it should. Instead of fifty minutes of grinding through the same ideas, we get a concentrated punch straight to the fucking face. Each track is like another nail in the coffin — impressive on its own, but together they leave no room for doubt.

Five years ago, the debut album “Evil Reaping Death” whetted our appetite. “Crucificial Imprecations” proves that it wasn’t a fluke. Hexorcist still play death metal rooted in the late eighties, but they do it with such energy and conviction that it is impossible to simply walk past this album without taking notice. No revolution. No weird gimmicks. Just half an hour of fantastic death metal that, instead of chasing modernity, relies on riffs, aggression and atmosphere. And it comes out victorious.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 18, 2023.

I do not exactly know why, but the global scene does not pay enough attention to the art of Netherland’s Infinity. This band delivers very well arranged black metal since 20 years and seven full-lengths. It’s remarkable that they never changed their style significantly, but they also never fell victim to predictability. Even though the listener is already familiar with their general direction, the Dutch devils are able to spend their compositions a lot of exciting melodies, dynamic outbursts and gloomy sections. This mix has always resulted in an interesting album and The Untamed Hunger does not hurt the tradition. It is another meticulously designed output whose more or less melodic black metal casts its spell over the listener.

I probably need to clarify the use of the term "melodic". I do not mean it this way that Infinity’s songs are overly harmonic. Let’s pick out 'Hakathriel'. Its mild opening sequence could have been found under the pillow of Steve Harris, but the song houses thunderous, pretty violent chapters as well. (By the way, it’s a very strong track that makes up for the solid, but not outstanding 'Ortus Luciferi'.) No, I use the word “melodic”, because Infinity have a knack for very expressive melodies. They cause a great impact on the general quality of the material while conveying melancholy, loneliness and hopelessness. Moreover, they are the main reason why the compositions do not lack depth. The fact that Infinity always give their individual songs enough time to develop their full strength plays an important role as well. Black metal should not be metallic fast food, even though some short tracks of the last Azaghal full-length seem to indicate something different.

Infinity’s songs are still free from any kind of barbaric or inappropriately brutal components. Their style is influenced by Swedish bands that were or still are able to give their unholy art an elegant element. Of course, I am speaking of formations such as Necrophobic or their brother project In Aphelion. Needless to say, this approach only works with an adequate, professional production. Any form of lo-fi underground sound would kill this type of lightness which seems to hover above things. But The Untamed Hunger is not to blame for a negligent sound. Quite the opposite, it is somewhat polished, but completely dark and without the slightest tinge of sterility. After so many years in business, we can be sure that the Dutch duo has a clear vision concerning its sound and it is able to realize its intention. Thus, the album sounds absolutely authentic, especially the more or less typical but still passionate and raw vocals of Balgradon Xul.

Is it necessary to mention that we do not find a weak song here? As far as I remember, Infinity would still have to write their first boring piece. It’s an almost flawless discography and new highlights like 'Infernam Aeternam' or the title track track lengthen my imaginary “Best Of Infinity” compilation, which has been already quite opulent before. Artwork and booklet also add value to the output, because their stylish design reflects Infinity’s non-vulgar way of proceeding. Therefore it’s a bit sad that the brilliantly intense and excessively attacking closer already heralds the end. But if you give yourself the name Infinity, then I expect nothing less than never ending creativity. Given this situation, I am already eagerly awaiting the next masterpiece of the two competent protagonists.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10