For two genre's that were once diametrically opposed to each other in the eyes of many, Heavy Metal and Punk go together like booze and fast food. Black Metal in particular carries on Punks anarchistic edge and no-fucks-given attitude in the present day. So mixing Black Metal and Punk sounds like an awesome idea, agreed? Many people have made this link musically; TOXIC HOLOCAUST, SATAN'S SATYRS and NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR are just two great examples. Victoria, Canada's HOLOCAUST LORD do this perfectly, throwing in some Rock 'n' Roll for good measure before serving the gnarly, crusty end result to you for your aural pleasure. Their debut four track demo sets a statement of intent that I hope that they stick to for a long while.

This demo lasts just over fifteen minutes, but is enough to showcase the incredible talent they have on offer. The eponymous album opener is just what you'd expect from a band like this; three chords thrashed out at breakneck speed, with Rock undertones, and all topped off with Phlegathon's perfectly raspy vocals. Their entire musical output could be described best in this way. They are very much a one trick pony, which might put some people off; but fuck me, it's one hell of a trick. Every song on here, from "High Voltage Satan", through to "Go To Hell", is a non-stop assault of Blackened, Crusty Punk. The drums, like on any good Punk or Black Metal record, reside somewhere on the very edge of chaos, and the guitar and bass give the fifteen minutes of music on offer the attitude and venom that really makes this a great record. A great Black Metal or Punk album is made on attitude; it's what makes a folk infused acoustic album like DRUDKH's "Songs of Grief and Solitude" a Black Metal masterpiece as opposed to say, DIMMU BORGIR's last album (which isn't to say that that album wasn't good, it just wasn't necessarily Black Metal). And HOLOCAUST LORD have attitude in bucket loads.

Their overall sound and attitude will hopefully help propel these guys to the forefront of the underground Canadian scene, which is, for all intents and purposes, oversaturated with some great bands like THRAWSUNBLAT and FORTERESSE. So gaining that kind of following will be no mean feat. But I'm sure that if they stick to the Blackened Punk Rock they are currently peddling, then they will reach those heady heights, and hopefully see recognition beyond their homeland. If you like your Punk harder, faster, and more dangerous than most, then you should definitely give these guys a listen.