I often wonder at artwork choices that see the devil depicted as a cross between Tim Curry’s be-horned Darkness (from Legend) and Dolph Lundgren’s He Man. Nevertheless, whilst you might be tempted to look askance at the cover, there’s nothing lacking in the churning death metal in which Nihilrage deal. An impressively produced effort for a DIY band, Eternal is a five-track EP that was recorded, mixed and mastered by the band’s rhythm guitarist, Alejandro Moreno, and there’s no question that Alejandro knew exactly what he wanted to achieve from the outset.
Following the short, scene-setting Intro, Nihilrage get down to business with Merciless War. The title might be somewhat cliché, but the band’s delivery speaks to a long-standing passion for the form, and the Bloodbath / Cannibal Corpse influences highlighted in the biography are in full view here. Alejandro does a good job with the production, treading the line between powerful and raw with aplomb, with the only suggestion that this is a DIY effort coming from the rather abrupt fade and cut at the end. Musically, the track shows promise and, if the band’s death metal antecedents are clear, they do hint at a more progressive sweep that would do much to expand their sound on future releases. Born Of Weakness sees elastic riffs and punishing percussion (Alex Flaviu), drawing elements from Gojira’s more brutal moments, while Human Waste adds a martial vibe to proceedings reminiscent of latter day Behemoth. Insanely tight, there’s no doubting the band’s musical chops, and the Meshuggah-inspired groove that sits at the heart of the track is both blisteringly heavy and refreshingly unexpected. The final track, Eternal Condemnation brings the EP to a suitably crushing end (and can be checked out below). Of the four full-length songs on offer, Eternal Condemnation is the shortest and was a wise choice for the single, as it wastes little time in getting the blood pumping. It certainly leaves the listener wanting more, and I have high hopes for the band’s next moves.
Well-produced and offering a good deal of promise for the future, Eternal is a debut EP of which Nihilrage can be proud. If, on a full-length outing, the band continue to flex their musical muscles in the manner indicated on tracks such as Human Waste, they will certainly find a place alongside the bands from whom they’ve drawn influence. 8
