BLACK HILL COVE is a Thrash Metal band formed in Lisbon, Portugal in 2020. Three guys, tons of attitude and some nice, calming brutality make this is a record to hear. Of all the crappy things that happened during the pandemic like canceled tours and no traveling, some killer new bands popped up to add to the body of excellent music. Such is this new band and their debut release, Broken, which dropped November 5, 2021, via Raging Planet Records.

This album starts with an intro and ends with an outro. The intro, "Lutar Até Ao Fim" is two minutes of discordant string sounds, tribal drums, ethereal tones and tension building. The intro is nothing like what comes direct behind it. It builds and builds, only to fade out just as "Angels Fall" rips through the silence left behind. This song will thrash your mind. The distorted vocals, the massive riff, the killer fills and solo work, the pounding bass and the frenetic drumming are on point.

One of the more impressive riffs on this record is in the song, "Blindness." The tuning, the tempo and the tones are killer. The vocals are massive, covering some slower, darker areas and some heavy-handed wails that just fit the feel of the song. The drums go shorter bursts to extended double bass sequences, varying the rhythm and adding a ton of character to the song. Again, the bass is heavy and really holds that riff up. The composition of this song is quite good.

"The Hunt" is another brutal riff with a bit of a Doom Metal feel at the start. The use of two channels for the guitars is all over this record and it makes for some interesting shifts in how this is heard. I don't hear this as much as I used to in the "old days." I like how well it still works in adding texture to a song. The screeching at the onset of the guitar solo is a nice addition. The tones are very reminiscent of 80s Thrash and I love hearing a nod to the past.

"In The Shadows" kicks in with a drum fill, followed by another excellent riff. More killer work from the bass, too. There is more doom added into this song, giving a bit of crossover, though they do stay true to their thrash roots for the most part. This song fades into the outro, "O Tempo Não Volta Atrás." The eerie tones and discordant sounds are a great way to start this outro. The song feels like it completes the record. The haunting vocalizations add more texture to a really good album.

Overall, this is an impressive debut record. There is a lot of good music, both in the form of writing and playing here. This is a band with a lot to offer and I hope to hear more of it in the future. Thrash metal is definitely alive and well thanks to BLACK HILL COVE.