Heavy metal has a long history and profound connection with devilry, deviance and the dark side. The ignominious return of Friends Of Hell can only strengthen that bond. Steeped in purest old school metal and the dirtiest doom, new album God Damned You To Hell is a rusty spike in the eye of unbelievers. Are you ready to feel the flames?
Formed by underground stalwart Tas Danazoglou (Satan’s Wrath/ex-Electric Wizard) in 2021, Friends Of Hell emerged as avowed defenders of dirty, evil metal. Initially fronted by doom maverick Albert Witchfinder (Opium Warlords/ex-Reverend Bizarre), they appeared from nowhere, scabby-knuckled and militant, and armed with a self-titled debut album that reeked of gruesome authenticity. Released in March 2022, Friends Of Hell adhered to a strict ethos of scything doom riffs and punk-as-fuck belligerence, while conjuring a disorientating storm of occult grimness that dripped with horror. Not surprisingly, fans of the real thing recognize diehard purity when they hear it, and Friends Of Hell were widely acclaimed as the latest and hottest entity to be belched from Lucifer’s maw.
The long-awaited follow-up to Friends Of Hell’s demonically thrilling debut, God Damned You To Hell is a scorched earth campaign against all that is holy. Even more defiantly old school and obnoxious than its predecessor, its primitive barrage of horrified heaviness owes a ghoulish debt to the greats of heavy metal and doom, while summoning some abominable demons of its own. Songs like Bringer Of Evil and Let The Devil Take You harbour ruthless hooks that draw from all manner of leather-clad and spiked sources, while the blasphemous rituals of closer All The Colours Of The Dark cement Friends Of Hell’s burgeoning reputation as harbingers of tangible, tumultuous darkness.
It was my pleasure to have Tas on the Interview to speak on the album and much more, Check out the complete coverage on the below YouTube video.
‘God Damned You To Hell‘ Track List:
1. God Damned you to Hell
2. Gran Inquisidor
3. Bringer of Evil
4. Snakes Not Sons
5. Arcane Macabre
6. Ave Satanatas
7. Let The Devil Take You
8. Cross Inverter
9. All the Colors of the Dark
