It’s a good day when you hear that one of your favourite bands announces that they’ve got a new album coming out, Memoriam (formed in 2017 as both a tribute and a form of catharsis, and also celebrating the life, of Bolt Thrower drummer Martin ‘Kiddie’ Kearns, who tragically passed away, far too early, back in 2015), the forthcoming ‘To the End’ will be the fourth album by the band in as many years, the fantastic debut ‘For the Fallen’ having been released March 2017, expect the new release to drop in late March, but as a sampler of what’s to come, here is the lead single ‘Onwards into Battle’. 

Starting with the sound of men on the frontline and a plane flying overhead, you’re suddenly hit by a devastating power-chord, and a majestic, yet sombre guitar line by Scott (Fairfax – Guitar), then the familiar roar of Karl (Willets – Vocals) cuts in, the song builds up from there, with rolling bass drums, provided by newbie Spike (T Smith – Drums) and the rumbling 4 strings of Frank (Healy – Bass), that underpin the huge chords. The war machine slowly picks up momentum and it’s once more unto the breach, at about the 2 minute mark the song is grinding along like an unstoppable tank, the guitars, bass and drums merging into one, crushing everything in their path, you can almost smell the cordite and feel the shells exploding around you as the battlefield unfolds around you, and the oppressive feel of battle almost overwhelms you.

This is a cracking return, it’s heavy, old school death metal, nothing more, nothing less, and it’s great to have them back, if you like the aforementioned Bolt Thrower, Benediction, et al, and you haven’t heard them before, it’s definitely well worth checking them out, and what better place to start.