Review by Felix on March 22, 2026.

Sons Of Hades originate – this is no surprise considering the name – from Greece and they enter the scene with an almost 50 minute debut. More surprising is that the title track appears only as a bonus on the CD, maybe someone can explain this to me occasionally. Anyway, "Tombs Of The Blind Dead" is blessed with a proper production. The guitars enjoy their resilient sound as well as their prominent place, the bass is not totally sidelined, while the drums and the vocals also contribute to the more than acceptable overall impression. Thus, the technical frame is set correctly.

The music itself is a conglomerate of different influences which do not always go hand in hand with each other. Some thundering guitar riffs ("The Omen", Ghost Galleon", the title track) meet pretty progressive and bulky lines, for example in "Salem's Lot", which could be a leftover of an early rehearsal session of the classic Mercyful Fate line-up. Every now and then, a few weird melody lines also point towards Denmark. But there are power or traditional heavy metal elements buzzing around as well. The Greek seem to know that a band called Iron Maiden has defined the entire genre to a certain degree. Wannabe-melodic vocals are rather disturbing and annoying than cool. Naturally, debutants do not yet have to be limited to just one style, but "Tombs Of The Blind Dead" would surely profit from more coherent arrangements. (By the way, has anyone ever seen some dead people who still can see? But dudes who call themselves Sons Of Hades should be experts with regard to corpses.)

The lack of coherence is a problem, but not a big one. Enthusiasm and a solid level of musicality make up for this. Perhaps the band should change to more compact song structures the next time? With the exception of the stormy opener and a melancholic intermezzo, the songs have a playtime of more than five minutes and "La Noche De Las Gaviotas" even exceeds the ten minute mark. It is an amalgam of harsh black thrash attacks, rocking Motörhead sounds, an almost narcissistic heavy metal guitar solo, Mercyful Fate elements and heroic power metal vocals, directly imported from the eighties via time machine. And, how could it be otherwise, an elegic, mild part is integrated as well. Frankly speaking, the quartet is choking on its own ambition here, although the song is far away from being a sonic disaster.

Certainly, Sons Of Hades reveal a solid potential due to a lot of truly good and pretty intensive parts with their first full-length, but it needs more to leave a remarkable footstep in the overcrowded, global scene. I am sure the guys do not need any advices from my side, but more clarity concerning target group and style (listen to the nearly terrible break at 1:43 in "La Machera Del Demonio", its pathos almost kills the entire song) and the integration of one of the best songs as a regular one and not just as a bonus would help. Or the dudes give themselves another label: power metal band with black thrash intentions and a sometimes evil atmosphere, inspired by real legends. Okay, not a very catchy description, but true.

Rating: 7 out of 10