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It wouldn't surprise me if you had the same thought I did, when I first saw this band's name; oh, more metalcore rubbish (and I phrased that very politely). Oh how wrong I was!
A Hill To Die Upon is an American band formed by the Cook brothers who have dabbled in pretty much every genre before settling into a semi-black metal niche. Infinite Titanic Immortal is their first full-length offering and they certainly have nailed it!
My first thought upon seeing the artwork was "where are my eyes?" as they quite literally popped out of my head. Its an absolutely gorgeous picture! Having found my eyes and cleared up the puddle of drool I pressed play. If you were here at the time you may have heard the sound of my jaw hitting the floor.
Vocalist Adam Cook has a sound and style that really reminds me of Paimon from the excellent Polish black metal band Thunderbolt. Its deep, gritty and yet easy to understand. Definitely a fine performance!
The rest of the playing is also damn good. The guitar tone is just right; heavy but not just a wall of sound and there is some headcrushing riffing going on in some of these tracks!
The drums seems to be spot on too with a lot of pummeling bass kicks and no missed beats that I can tell. My one complaint is that they're a bit too low in the mix. I almost found myself straining to hear that kickdrum at times!
As seems to be the case with most metal today you can't really hear the bass which is a real shame as I'm sure Ravn Furfjord's performance was as fine as the rest!
The music is generally mid-fast paced with some meaty riffs. Probably more blackened death on the whole than out and out black metal. Songs are just about the right length too with most clocking in around the three and a half to five minute mark – just enough to rattle your brain with some serious headbanging without seeming tedious or boring.
Fans of latter day Immortal, Belphegor and Behemoth should certainly check these boys out. Top class.
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