INVERTED CROSS hailing from Barcelona, Spain were formed in 2017. They play a mixture of blackened Speed and Thrash Metal, and after seven years, the band releases their debut album. “Eternal Flames Of Hell” was mixed and mastered by Gonzalo Vivero (HARDEAD; OMISSION). The album has a length of almost 30 minutes, and it was released via Portuguese Speed, Black, and Thrash Metal specialists Helldprod Records. The album starts with the tension-building, organ-driven intro “March Of The Fallen”, before the Speed Metal onslaught starts with “Attack With Hellfire”. It is a fast track with tight Thrash Metal riffing and directness. The vocals are harsh, very aggressive, and vary between the medium to higher end of the vocal range. It is a relatively short song with a few and simple lead guitar contributions. There is no official video release by the band yet, however, “Attack With Hellfire” was uploaded on YouTube by the label and the link is provided below. “Under An Evil Presence” starts with thunderous guitar riffs transitioning into another frantic Thrash/Speed Metal attack with a lot of double-bass drumming to begin with. The vocals sound slightly deeper lying compared to the previous track however, it is very difficult to talk about vocals as they unfortunately sound subdued throughout the album. The riffing is simple and direct, and the break delivers a short but very contributing lead guitar solo.

“Invoke The Goat” keeps going with the aggressive and direct Thrash Metal sound. The riffing remains tight, and it is supported by crunching basslines. As for the preceding album tracks, there is no tempo and rhythm change throughout and the break with the lead guitar solo is delivered at the same crazy speed as the whole track. “Into The Crypt Of The Necromancer” starts at a measured tempo with a head-banging rhythm and maintains the pace during the verse and chorus parts. The extended break offers an abrupt twist in pace and the lead guitar solo is played blisteringly fast. “Suffer To Live” goes back to a faster, but not overly fast tempo with flesh-ripping guitar riffs, strong basslines, and frequent double-bass drumming. It is another aggressive and direct song with an almost anthemic chorus line. Highlight is the contributing lead guitar solo as it introduces a bit of a chilling atmosphere. Somehow many of the songs, and “Suffer To Live” in particular remind me on early SODOM material.

“Black Leather Hordes” keeps it going with the fast pace and the Thrash Metal riffing. The rhythm section is kept simple and direct with a little bit of playfulness in the riffs. The guitars are once again supported by crushing basslines. The break introducing the lead guitar solo does not change the pace and the solo is relatively short. “Trapped Underground” starts with an extended mid-tempo guitar part and it introduces a bit of darkness to the track. It does not take long for the track to raise the tempo and continue with another merciless pummeling. The vocals sound a bit more versatile as they include a few higher pitched screams. Highlight is the extended lead guitar solo. The album ends with the title track and this one sums up the album very well: crazy pace, direct and simple tight riffing, crushing basslines, and aggressive vocals. Despite the similarities with all other album songs, “Eternal Flames Of Hell” is one of my album favourites.

INVERTED CROSS deliver a very traditional mixture of Speed and Thrash Metal. “Eternal Flames Of Hell” reminds me on the early 80s: the guitar riffs are direct and simple, the vocals are aggressive, and the melodies are grim. The album is perhaps a bit too simple and lacks some twists and turns in tempo and technicality. Many songs sound very similar. The album deserved a better production and especially the vocals sound subdued, which is unfortunate as they could have contributed much more to the album sound. INVERTED CROSS offer old school and old school Thrash and Speed Metal fans will like what they hear despite some of the shortcomings.