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October Fire

      
         
         
         
     
             
Harm are a thrash/death metal band from Norway formed in 1997 releasing a couple of demos in 2004 before their debut album emerged in 2006. The follow up arrived in 2011 and the bands third album, 'October Fire' was released in 2016.    
             
Blending the elements of two legends of the thrash metal genre, Harm are an in your face, slam you against the wall, rampaging offspring of Slayer and Kreator. Opening the new album is the devastatingly brutal and aggressive 'Devastator', delivered at a speed so fast your head is in danger of being head banged right off your shoulders. A raw and growling vocal delivery adds a roughness to the sound. 'Executioner' increases the tempo and velocity, with the guitars blazing and drums thundering. Fans of the raw, aggressive and brutal thrash metal genre will lap this up. Harm have been around for a number of years and their collective experience and expertise shows as every song is of superb quality, both in terms of writing and performing.    
             
Leaving a path of destruction in its wake 'Trying To Grow Wings' is a thunderously heavy romp that will flatten towns and cities. The title song 'October Fire' introduces more traditional heavy metal influences, yet manages to remain raw sounding and mildly aggressive. The superb musicianship of the band shines through as 'October Fire' trundles on its way. The blistering pace of earlier returns in abundance as 'Kill The King' races into life and has a guitar riff that owes much of its sound to the legendary NWOBHM sound. Heads will be banging and feet will be stomping as the listener gets caught up in the infectious chorus line. Just sheer brilliance.    
             
Majestic and epic is the intro that brings 'Shadow And The Slave' to life before it dramatically changes pace to become an aggressive and in your face rampaging romp of thunderous proportions. The pace of the album is breathtaking, the aggression is up high and the skill level of the band is superb. 'Red Stone Souls' may be of a slower pace than the rest of the album, yet it still packs a huge punch of brutality, enough to crush small planets. 'In These Moments' ups the tempo and with the vocal delivery gruff and rough, sounding so raw that a life time supply of throat lozenges would still not be enough. Sadly, everything must come to an end and so does this album, but at least there is the replay button... 'Bad Omen' closes the album as it began, in a flurry of aggression and brutality, with one of the heaviest foot stomping rhythms ever.    
             
Overall, combining traits of Slayer and Kreator, this is an album of high tempo, high energy, aggressive and brutal, slamming thrash metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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