Following their 2011 reunion, Satan proved their mettle (and their metal) with 2013’s Life sentence and 2015’s equally well-received Atom by Atom. With original six-stringers Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins firmly in place, alongside Brian Ross (vocals), and long-standing members Sean Taylor (drums) and Graeme English (bass), Satan are now signed to respected label Metal Blade for Cruel Magic, a ten-track summation of their strengths clad in typically evocative artwork.
Certainly cruel magic is far from an exercise in reliving past glories. As the grand opener, into the mouth of eternity strides majestically into view, we get just a moment to capture a glimpse of the regal entourage before everything explodes as Steve and Russ peal out riff after riff over Graeme’s pounding bass. If you don’t feel the adrenalin immediately start to flow, you may well be clinically dead, especially when Brian’s prog-tinged vocals are introduced, the result being a glorious hybrid of classic heavy metal, progressive elements and modern metal production tropes. Everything from the tightly knit harmonies to the explosive riffs are rendered with searing clarity and the band themselves are on the form of their lives, playing for their very souls as Sean drives them ever closer to the gates of hell with his devastating performance. Next up, the title track shows that the opening blast was no fluke, the riffs weaving nimbly around the bass as Brian once again delivers a vocal performance that will leave most newcomers gasping in his wake. With shades of Deep purple and Priest, cruel magic distils the essence of heavy metal into five glorious minutes, only to find itself eclipsed by the dizzying speed and addictive melodies of The doomsday clock, an unstoppable rampage that somehow pales in comparison to Legions hellbound, a track that teaches the youngsters how it’s done with its fiery riffs and a series of whiplash solos that will have the audience banging their head to a concussion. In contrast, Ophidia takes things down a notch as the band engage with a mid-tempo beast that has a powerful groove in place of the battering-ram riffs employed elsewhere. Once again it’s Brian Ross who shines here, his vocals given greater weight in the mix thanks to the more restrained approach of the guitars, although that’s not to say there isn’t some exquisite lead work for fans to get their teeth into. Ophidia brings the first half of the album to a perfect close with adrenalin levels still very much in the red.
Raising the curtain on the album’s second half, Sean Taylor lays down a merciless beat on My prophetic soul, a glorious melee of hard riffing and soaring vocals. The pace remains furious as the band surge forth into death knell for a king, an anthemic beast of a track that is sure to become a live favourite. The band take a deeper turn into prog pastures with the bardic who among us, although, as one might expect, a hefty riff is never far away. A mid-paced groove machine, ghosts of Monongah is another track destined to give head bangers a tough time. Whether it be electrifying solos, the metronomic beat or the soaring vocals, it’s an intoxicating brew that Satan offer. It leaves only the prog-infused epic of Mortality to see the album out on a high, seemingly in spite of the exceptional quality found elsewhere.
With its oh-so-familiar artwork, Cruel Magic sees Satan outpacing their own impressive legacy to deliver an album that is packed, wall-to-wall, with heavy metal anthems of exceptional power and precision. The crystal clear production, the stunning performances, the consistently strong song-writing all leads to the inevitable conclusion that Satan have come up with trumps with on an album destined to be revered as a classic in years to come. If you love metal, then you need this album in your life, it’s that simple – a masterpiece. 9
