Another band that took me by surprise with their sound. AMEN CORNER hailing from Brazil plays a more old school form of Black Metal. Now when I say Black Metal I’m not saying like DARKTHRONE or EMPEROR variety but in the more esoteric different sound of MORTUARY DRAPE and VARATHRON and like their fellow countrymen MYSTIFIER. Besides the imagery of the band and their presentation, you would immediately assume they play a more fast-paced sound but they are more Heavy Dark Metal with minor Black Metal touches. Everything is rooted in that early vibe and takes me back to the days of hearing the above-mentioned bands and their more ritualistic take on Black Metal. The band’s sound never goes above a mid-pace gallop and you can hear a bit of Cronos in the vocals and the songs evoke a dark aura. The production is well done and you can hear all instruments clearly and also bass player Fernando has a much more prominent sound and has a slight Steve Harris thing going. He is not relegated to just the background and or in sync with the guitar player. You can hear him playing more in and around the songs. Giving much more dimension and feel to the overall songwriting. Listening to the title track will give you a good idea of what to expect. It also reminds me of NECROMANTIA where the bass was the sole driver in sound. Overall I was pleased to hear something a bit different and I appreciated their take on this underutilized style. Also, I enjoyed the cover art, it reminds me of Dan Seagrave. I can’t be sure if it is so forgive if it is and or props to the artist. www.facebook.com/amencornerhorde, www.facebook.com/hammerheartrecords