Japan is striking once again. Well, Tokyo in this case, as that is where VERDALACK are based. From 2008 until 2011 and 2015 until 2022, they were known as ASSAULT ATTACK. Having only been active under their current name in 2022, they have been active until now. Their demo “Rites Of Hell” was released in their year of birth, and now they are bombarding us with their style of Speed Metal on “Force From the Grave”. And whilst listening to the music on offer I do understand why Hells Headbangers Records has stepped up to sign them. What I also like is that all the stage names of the band members start with a V, but also sound rather apt for what they bring to the table.

VERDALACK plays Speed Metal, but it is the kind that is loaded with a lot of Thrash Metal references. Not only that, the adrenaline level of these guys is way way above normal. Everything you hear is packed to the brim, so if you are expecting “Force From the Grave” to be an easy listening album, you will be really disappointed. The riffs, breaks and tempo changes are available in abundance. And the tempo usually is quite high, to the fact that I was almost considering to call this music High Speed Metal (“Desecrater”). What that does do is make your brain think that the musicians are not always in sync. It is only after a few listens that you realise that they are totally playing from the same Metal Hymn sheet. So, what I was dreading hasn’t come to fruition, because it somehow works.

The songs on “Force From the Grave” are fast, furious and extremely intense. That is fine by me, as it makes VERDALACK stand out in a positive way. I sometimes am reminded of bands like VENOM and MIDNIGHT, as the production is properly raw, giving the band just that edge that every Metal band wants. Plus, I like all of the songs, they are making me enjoy the whole experience of listening to “Force From the Grave”. But I have to warn you, as there is one thing I had to ignore in order to really appreciate how good VERDALACK is, and that is the voice of Villain. At first, I thought I was listening to one of the baddies in a cartoon, but as it kept on going throughout the whole album, I slowly got used to it. I’ll never be his biggest fan, but as long as VERDALACK makes music like they have done on “Force From the Grave”, I’ll be able to endure it with ease.