Death Is Coming
(Metalism Records)
37:23min
Death’n’Roll, the Swedish style. That’s what we get from these five lads in HELLTRAIN. The band’s 3rd full-length studio album titled "Death Is Coming", has been out for quite a while now on a Russian label Metalism Records that has quite a respectable roster of several bands indeed. As for HELLTRAIN, it features experienced musicians that have a long history in many other Swedish bands – from GATES OF ISHTAR to GILGAMOSH to THE EVERDAWN to SCHEITAN and what not, so the guys’ musical background should speak for itself. But roughly said, HELLTRAIN’s stuff represents a keyboard-laden, straightforward and heavy Rock’n’Roll, sung mostly with Black Metal type of sand-dry and raw vocals – and that’s the whole concept for them basically. Momentarily they sound like they kind of could be like MOTÖRHEAD’s very own bastard child – with a remarkable amount of more melodies and a modern style infused into their songs though. Unfortunately this stuff quite doesn’t set me on fire the way I expected it would in the very first place. It lacks of a certain punch to really go under my skin, leaving me somewhat unhappy and numb with this disc in question. Perhaps this stuff is meant to work out better in some ultimate booze fests where one can get get totally shitfaced, forgetting tomorrow completely – who knows. Anyways, for further info about HELLTRAIN, go to: www.helltrain.net, www.myspace.com/metalismrecords
Luxi Lahtinen