While the first album (Bless The Earth With Fire) by the sludgy metal quintet Allfather aggressively raged against the injustices in the world, their second album, And All Will Be Desolation (Rotting Throne) shows a different take on the political landscape that is not often present in music: whereas most political music will call for, and show the fight against the power in a positive light – rise up and not think about the negatives of the movement – And All Will Be Desolation reflects on the sombre side of fighting against injustices across the globe.Continue reading
Tag Archives: Bless The Earth With Fire
Allfather – Bless the Earth With Fire
Bless the Earth With Fire (Static Tension) is a relatively short first album from Rochester UK quintet Allfather but, my God, is it an utter brute. Played at a largely sedentary pace, the Sludgy sensibilities are offset by Hardcore-flavoured guitars which boot the monstrous bedrock squarely up the arse at frequent intervals.
Opener ‘Raskolnikov’ is the first of four fairly brief tracks which nevertheless crush boulders whilst fired with a rampant anger: its howling solos giving the bone-grinding, occasionally shredding riffs some emotional substance and lightening the slurring emphysema of vocalist Tom. The repeated roar “I’m a murderer!” is truly nerve-twanging, the rhythm and squall rising in turn to give the full threatening effect.
It’s a sound that brings to mind the bludgeoning hostility of Hang the Bastard, whilst possessing more invention and vitality. Follow-up ‘The Bloody Noose’ displays more vicious weight before dancing buzzsaw riffs awaken a marauding monster, sure to whip up pits everywhere. The Hardcore Thrash of ‘Mouth of the Beast’ subsequently rips along yet retains a remarkable heaviness, its colossal coda terrified by manically squealing leadwork; whilst the diseased Stoner of ‘Dark Actors’ attracts comparison to High on Fire, almost matching the Californians’ mammoth intensity with a mid-section of pulverising riffs and drums.
The rather splendidly-titled, eleven-minute closer ‘Death, and Hell Followed With Him’ is an epic which again displays the full flourish of the band’s creative hand. Wonderfully emotive and often atmospheric without ever losing potency, and with a perfectly timed quickening, it does however highlight the slight flaw in the make-up. Tom’s unflinching scour is often suited to the task yet sometimes appears tired and limited, always seeming more effective when the scream is employed – which is all too briefly. Thankfully here it’s overshadowed by marvellous instrumentation which gives fans of all Metal persuasions something to revel in.
The Bandcamp version has a bonus track, ‘Blood Red Sunset’, which barrels along at a medium pace, its devilishly groovy riffs and wailing solo ensuring rambunctious fun. Altogether Bless the Earth With Fire displays Allfather’s near-ideal balance of Goliath’s size and David’s lightning-quick devastation to the full.
7.5/10.0
PAUL QUINN
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Exclusive Stream: AllFather – ‘Blood Red Sunset’
A chimaera of Sludge, Metal, Doom and Hardcore, the Medway (UK) has disgorged a barrel of riffs and grooves from the febrile minds of AllFather, riff-mongers almighty.
As a teaser of what shall be, and to bridge the gap between their self-released digital EP No Gods, No Masters and 2016’s impending Bless The Earth With Fire, for which the band are currently seeking a suitable label home, Ghost Cult are pleased to exclusively stream ‘Blood Red Sunset’, the EP’s bonus track, and a reworking of AllFather’s first ever song.
Vocalist Tom affirms:
The power of the riff compels us, and G̶o̶d̶ Iommi guides our hand. Like chucking Conan the Barbarian and Godzilla into a bear-pit, only the best ideas come out, bloodied, but alive! AllFather take those bloodied ideas and battle-hardened riffs and deliver their own brand of metal. Whether taking the sadistic advocates of austerity and racism to task, or revelling in the way the sun glints off a raised battle axe, AllFather recognise that the world is a hard, cruel fucking place, and write songs big enough scare off the darkness.
With a bonus track this good, one can only guess the quality of the upcoming release:
https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/230522794
You can download the band’s earlier material on a pay-what-you-want basis via AllFather’s Bandcamp page but with the disclaimer that there is far, far, better to come…
AllFather play the following UK shows between now and the end of the year:
Nov 6: Lady Luck Bar – Canterbury, UK
Nov 13: The Red Lion – Gravesend, UK
Dec 11: Harp Restrung – Folkestone, UK