It has been three years since the release of Strength Power Will Passion, the last album of HOLY MOSES, which found them staying and continuing in the Thrash Metal domains but with characteristic anti-inspiration, making this album at least boring. The same I believe goes for most of their discography since their reformation as a band; I am talking about the release of Master Of Disaster and after despite I repeat the fact they played pure Thrash and Sabina's voice remained brutal and vomiting as in the past. That's why I had a reserved disposition about their new album, which proved me to be wrong and makes me glad to tell you that Agony Of Death is the best album for them in this decade we are running.
The sound seems to be focused in albums like the brutal attack of Finished With The Dogs with the 'entering a strange nightmare' feel that The New Machine Of Liechtenstein had. Some parts look that come straight from that album, for example the bridge of Bloodhound Of The Damned that is one of the highlights here as also the beginning of The Retreat. In the whole album you will meet some strange keyboard played parts that work as intro and outro for the songs creating a unique atmosphere that together with the sound that they have achieved and the lyrics looks like a trip into the most sick, dark and absurd places inside human mind. That gives more points to Agony Of Death. I must underline of course the return of one of my favorite drummers from Germany, the one and only Atomic Steif, who was also in bands like SODOM, LIVING DEATH, VIOLENT FORCE and almost half of the German Thrash Scene. His playing has surely given more personality to HOLY MOSES sound fulfilling their background exactly as it should. Of course don't expect extreme things as the unbelievable playing of Uli Kusch but surely this addition raises the group's level.
Most of the tracks are very good, besides the fact that we have many following the trite road riffing that seems to be missing the secret element of creating a more hurricane in your room and making your head bleed. The vocals are just the same, don't expect differences; I prefer the more thrashy ones but what is sure is that inside Sabina's mind there is 100% Metal and only Metal. And after all these years only the presence of a HOLY MOSES new album means a lot. Last: the beginning of 2009 will find them doing for the first time a North American tour. Do you feel that we have to expect better things from them? I believe that if the current lineup remains the same probably the following album will be greater and, who knows, maybe it reaches the masterpieces of the 80s catalogue. For now, just Thrash!!