BRANNTHORDE is a two-piece Black Metal band hailing from Germany. Formed in 2012, the band released their EP "Radix" and now, two years later the duo has released their first full-length album "Auf Teufel Komm Raus". My German sucks, as in, I don't speak a lick of it. But, I found that the album roughly translates to something similar to "hell-bent" (or at least that's what my buddy Google says) which is an apt name for this album. BRANNTHORDE weaves strange, haunting sound-bites into almost every track on their album, using dismal screams, soldiers and a wide-array of violent messages. The album's goal seems to be highlighting the evils of human beings and dangers religion.

One of my favorite sound-bites, for example, is one where a man confesses to murder and  the following hematophagy, the other is an oh-so hilarious bit of an anti Rock and Roll sermon. BRANNTHORDE sets a very dismal and devilish tone with their brand of Death Metal often breaking their chaotic screaming with slow, melancholic bridges and outros. "Auf Tenfel Komm Raus" is nothing groundbreaking, it's dark, dirty and disturbing (though, the last one applies mostly to the parents of angst ridden teenagers). In spite of that fact, I have to give BRANNTHORDE props for being a two-piece with the only humans in the band being the guitarist and vocalist.

I would have never guessed that the guys behind BRANNTHORDE had used a drum-machine. I think anyone who has ever tried using one knows that realism is not an easy task to accomplish with drum-programs. Metal and other Hard Rock duos tend to impress me due to the amount of effort it takes to collaborate with less input than you would receive in a full band. I am thoroughly impressed with "Auf Tenfel Komm Raus". It may be a bit simplistic, but I respect the talent and dedication between the two musicians. I'm also a fan of the harsh anti-religious rants, especially the brief but powerful speech about "belief systems" at the end of the album by Robert Anton Wilson (American author). BRANNTHORDE is undiluted Black Metal, plain and simple. Just don't listen to them when Oma is around.<