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UNHOLY NIGHT
Atomic Sorcery

Motorpunk / Soundage Productions / Segacore Production (2024)
Rating: 7/10

With their brand of blackened speed metal, Russian combo Unholy Night unleashes a furious barrage to herald the arrival of a debut full-length album five years after forming, with the clan of vocalist Adok, guitarist Lepeha, bassist Meshok and drummer Losos’ more than likely worshiping at the altar of black leather, alcohol and metal gods Venom.

I recall Unholy Night’s 2020 Succubus EP featuring track titles such as ‘Evil Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘Straight To Hell’, ‘Mark Of The Beast’ and ‘Infected With Mayhem’, so it’s no surprise that Atomic Sorcery comes fully armoured with similar, although somewhat more abrupt titles such as ‘Immolation’, ‘Possessed’ and ‘Ancient Rites’. However, the best track title has to be ‘Boogie On The Grave’ which is matched wondrously by its riotous musical design plucked straight from Satan’s scrap yard.

With its cauldron of rust n’ beer, Atomic Sorcery is the type of album that teenage metalheads light fires and drink fake blood to, just like I did back in 1987. Opener ‘Immolation’ shoots out of the traps as if it were Satan’s snapping hellhound with a rocket up its arse. The vocals are throaty gasps of razor blade swallowing quality as the Moscow-based band fuses together a smoking amalgamation of grinding punk and black n’ roll. The title cut is as equally insane in its demonic rattling as if one has spent too long at the Motörhead and Venom after party due to too much alcohol consumption with Bulldozer.

As the album scurries through your eardrums it’s not exactly easy to define one song from another because their aim is to simply mow you down like a mob of agitated, speeding Hells Angels. ‘Gears’ is a rampant steaming heap of menacing black thrash, but where the posse does start to get its hooks in is by providing twisted riffery, such as with ‘Time To Kill’ and the Slayer-esque ‘Possessed’.

There’s a degree of oily slickness to every galloping thread, to every snarling bass line and to every grim riff as Unholy Night poison the air with satanic filth so that the already leaden clouds grow darker. When ‘Louder, Angrier’ has had its demented way with your membranes the grip of Satan tightens and there’s just no escaping the evil of Unholy Night.

Neil Arnold

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