Today, a veteran band that stays in the underground is not a consequence of a bad work of the label, but of the fans that prefer to stay in their comfort zones, always listening to the same bands or/and albums, trying to protect themselves of a world that’s constantly changing (as Buddha said, ‘the only thing in life that is constant is change’). To these new Peter Pans, no one will blow that ‘blob of security’, but for those that aren’t caring a fuck for formulas and love to stay secure at shallow waters, the veteran Danish quintet PANZERCHRIST is here to draw them to the depths with “All Witches Shall Burn”.

One thing that astonishes the listeners at first is the sonority of this 4-tracks EP; it’s something unusual for these days, bearing a rough and crude approach that belongs to the 90s, when Blackened Death Metal acts ravaged the scene. It’s obviously organic (due the crude instrumental tunes used on the recordings), but defined and working in a way that is understandable. But on the helm of the production is Tue Madsen, known for his work with AT THE GATES, BEHEMOTH, ABORTED, GOREFEST, DARK TRANQUILLITY, HOLY MOSES, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, MOONSPELL, so he extracted the best of the sonority, the one that fits on what the quintet does.

The band works on a trench between Black Metal, Death Metal and Blackened Death Metal, always with an Old School appeal. But in the deeper sense, one can check that more influences can be heard on it, with many contrasts and rhythmic shifts, charming arrangements and a brutal and harsh appeal that does not deny the use of some somber melodies to temper things (as heard on the guitar duets on “Sabbath of the Rat”). But 31 years of experience over the band’s shoulders justify the high level of quality shown on these four songs.

As “All the Witches Shall Burn” were recorded during the same sessions of their latest full length (“Last of a Kind”, released on 2023), it’s not a sin to think that are songs that weren’t chosen to be on the album. But of course that none of them is expandable, as a simple hearing on “Sabbath of the Rat” (an explosive and aggressive song with many Black/Thrash Metal elements, with a melodic sheath clear on the instrumental, especially on the guitars), “A Stone for the Graveless” (the slower tempos privileges that funereal feeling and the nasty and fierce shrieks and screams of the vocals), “Satan is Among Us” (that brings some classic elements of Black/Death Metal, as the fines technical work of bass guitar and drums on the rhythmic wall), and “She’s a Witch” (a climatic outro that closes the EP).

As final words, one can be sure that PANZERCHRIST isn’t living off its past, and refuses to do it. A simple listen to “All Witches Must Burn” is enough to put the cry babies that love to be in the comfort zones in the fetal position, crying to protect themselves of reality.