Hell - Curse and Chapter

(CD Album Review)

*****

The glorious return of one Hell of a band!

Following my five star review to Hell's monumental debut album 'Human Remains', I was anticipating this album like the second coming and the stakes for this release are slightly different this time around. The first album consist solely on songs from the bands original period re-recorded, this album however the main bulk of the album is brand new material which is what we have all been wanting. Andy Sneap and vocalist David Bower are heavily included in the writing on 'Curse and Chapter' and there was also the inevitable pressure that always comes with following up a debut of the quality of 'Human Remains' especially when the songs we're the best part of twenty years old. Well rest assured 'Curse and Chapter' is a more then worthy follow up and your going to really love it when you get the chance to listen to it.

Picking up quite literally were the last album left off, the introduction track 'Gehennae Incendiis' opens with the quote that 'Human Remains' finished with. Blasting into 'The Age of Nafarious' the track is a perfect album opener. The song perfectly combines all the elements of the whole album into a single track letting the listener now what they are in for. The rest of the album takes you on a similar journey through a theatrical, dramatic and at times a bit camp Heavy Metal journey through Hell!

There's not much of a change in sound but one is not needed as literally no band sounds like Hell. Sure musically there's echoes of early Iron Maiden, Classic Judas Priest and there are similarities to Mercyful Fate and King Diamond but no one can here a Hell song and mistake them for another band. The main case for this is David Bower's vocal approach. He is more a narrator then flat out singer.

Telling the story of the song in Shakespearean lingo whilst throwing in all the necessary high notes. Some people are put of by his vocals and granted I took a while to get used to them but once they click you'll love them as only he can tie the music together the way he does. Although there isn't much of a change certain elements, Synths, orchestration spoken word passages. Little quirky touches here and there are brought slightly to the forefront giving the sound a bigger more dramatic atmosphere and they do it just enough without being over the top.

Tracks such as 'Darkangel' and 'End ov Days' with it's awesome chorus are instant classics. A re-recording of 'Deathsquad' is just terrific! harking back to the days when bands did instrumental's it easily stands up against classics like Iron Maiden's 'Transylvania'. "Something wicked this way comes" is well.... Macbeth turned into a Heavy Metal song! What more could you want?

I can't recommend the Deluxe edition enough. It's beautifully presented, Slipping out of the cardboard sleeve the cover unfolds into a Ouija board one side and an awesome photo of the band being possesed by the said board. Also included with the album is an awesome DVD of half an indoor headline show and a handful of tracks at this years Bloodstock festival. The DVD comes with it's own booklet and the only thing wring with it is that you don't get the whole set but there you go. The Deluxe edition is well worth the extra money. What more can I say? The band are f**king brilliant! There you have it!

Review by Joe Denby