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II E.P.

    
       
       
       
     
             
Hell In The Skies are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2017, releasing to date two E.P.'s - 'Hell In The Skies' (2018) and 'II' (2024).    
             
Describing themselves as "swamp metal", Hell In The Skies deliver classic sounding heavy metal laced with stoner, doom and a little industrial metal - the six songs on offer on the bands new E.P. running for twenty minutes. That's twenty minutes of heavy hitting metal to please fans of bands as diverse as the likes of Black Sabbath, Armored Saint and Alice In Chains - Hell In The Skies throwing their vast arsenal at a worldwide audience as (E.P. opener) 'Fields Of Betrayal' hits hard! And immediate too, the sound of traditional heavy metal leading the way along with a weighty touch of groove - the opening salvo very attractive, turning heads all around the world in the direction of Eberswalde to see, or rather hear what "swamp metal" really is! Hard to define in all honesty, but I think the band are gonna swamp everyone with their brash, bold and in your face brand of metal - 'Riotous Uproar' an up tempo and lively romp across the first twenty seconds or so, the band adopting a mid tempo heavy hitting groove metal edged stomp! The variation across the two opening songs has been immense, Hell In The Skies catching the attentions of a multitude of metallers!    
             
And with a massive Black Sabbath feel, 'Vicious Scorn' enters the fray to drag a doom metal laden seventies vibe to the fore, the band re-creating perfectly the 'Sabbath sound - the ominous tension and dark gloomy atmosphere is spot on too! Hell In The Skies may be fifty years and nine hundred miles away from where doom metal was forged right here in the heart of the UK, but the influence is clear to hear - and it's sheer bliss! Balladry kind of makes an entrance in the form of 'Sad & Done', 'II' E.P. moving in a mellower direction, an air of serenity descending upon the E.P. - yet for me, 'Sad & Done' keeps one foot just outside ballad country, pointing towards hymn-like majesty. So feel free to raise your lighters high in the air, I for one won't be.    
             
The band return the heavy hitting, bombastic barrage heard earlier with the pulsating 'Mental Asylum' - Hell In The Skies once more shuddering the ground with immense force! No-one and no where is safe from the bands relentless pounding, the E.P. causing severe damage to nearby buildings along with devastating a thousand upon a thousand acres of land! The sixth and final song on 'II' E.P. 'Prince Of Wallachia', is the bounciest on offer, the band planting a massive dose of the iconic Southern rock swagger into their stoner, doom and heavy metal roots - every one of the six songs on the E.P. featuring a different influence, but still retaining the core essence of the bands sound.    
             
Overall, a heavy hitting, varied E.P. packed with a huge array of metal influences, Hell In The Skies are gonna attract a very wide audience.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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