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Vorgus: Hellfueled Satanic Action

Heavy/Thrash/Speed Metal

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Inferno Records
www.myspace.com/vorgus
Review: Craig Hartranft,  11.23.2009

Longsuffering Swedish headbangers Vorgus are finally getting a little more respect. After about four demos, Vorgus has signed with France's Inferno Records, an oasis for old school metal in a country best known for fine wine and arrogance, and released Hellfueled Satanic Action. Vorgus is the namesake of Nenne Vorgus (b,v), and the band is filled out by Straight G (sounds like a West Coast rapper) on guitar, and Mikke Killalot (yeah right) on drums. A quick glance at the cover shows the boys in a full metal style, with leather and chains, that borders on parody.

Vorgus's metal is pure classic heavy metal with a strong emphasis on thrash and speed metal. The thrash riffing blends with a punishing pace from the rhythm section to push the velocity into fifth gear. Hellfueled Satanic Action, a title more than a bit over the top even for metal, betrays the content: odes to metal, Satan, killing, and more violence. If it weren't for that fact that I think these guys take this stuff seriously, this stuff is hyperbole on crack.

What Vorgus and Hellfueled Satanic Action lacks is two-fold. First, Nenne Vorgus can't sing; his performance is contrived gruff metal growling which often slips into redundancy. His performance sounds more like pretense than authenticity. Also, don't look for any significant guitar solos here. I know there was one on In Metal We Trust, but that's all I remember. As far as I'm concerned, if you're doing classic metal, then you must deliver the fret work; nifty riffing isn't enough.

Lovers of old school thrash heavy metal could do I lot worse than Vorgus and Hellfueled Satanic Action. Overall, it's basic, if not totally over-the-top, stuff. But Vorgus has to do a lot better in the future to keep my interest.

Lovers of old school thrash heavy metal could do I lot worse than Vorgus and Hellfueled Satanic Action: overall, it's solid stuff. But Vorgus has to do a lot better in the future to keep my interest.

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Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]