Formed just two years ago, Blackened Death Metal band STAHLSARG is certainly not a band to rest on their laurels. In addition to having already built up a name for themselves due to a slew of festival and tour appearances, this German band has also brewed its own beer, and all this before having released a single album. But this is about to change, with their debut album "Comrades In Death" being due to be unleashed towards the end of the month. Having already amassed quite the following of fans, all rabidly awaiting this release, I was curious to see whether STAHLSARG was really worth all this hype. And the short answer is yes, they are.

Influences of older Death Metal forefathers like the unforgettable DEATH are immediately apparent right from the start of "Razed to the Ground", complete with cascading guitar solos, chunky bass lines, and pounding drums. Vocalist Eissturm shows off quite the vocal range, injecting a myriad of different textures into the music, with everything from gravelly rasped vocals all the way to shrieks so piercing, they'll leave your eardrums with more holes than a sieve. Things take a darker twist in "Seelow Heights", with more Blackened inspirations coming to the fore here, which continue as the album progresses; "From Factory To Fortress Of Rubble and Iron" even has moments in it that wouldn't be out of place on the soundtrack of an episode of Vegan Black Metal Chef. Things get shaken up again with "Damocles XIII", which has heavier overtones that make for a hard-hitting and militant Death Metal track, a theme picked up again in "Under The Shadow Of The Silver Runes". In stark contrast to this, the final song "In The City Of Trapped Souls" has a slower and more melancholic feel to it that does well in bringing the album round full circle.

All in all a very strong debut that pays tribute to the older and more classic strains of Death Metal whilst still incorporating a modern twist that gives STAHLSARG a unique sound. Overall, "Comrades In Death" is a varied album that constantly turns in unexpected directions. After listening to this, I can totally see how STAHLSARG have managed to garner so many fans in their short history, and this debut will surely earn them a whole lot more; definitely worth checking out! And for fans in Denmark, be sure to catch STAHLSARG at the "Comrades In Death" release party on the 23^rd of October at Zeppelin Bar!