Hour of Penance, Sedition
Much has changed since Italy’s Hour of Penance last beat down Christianity with 2010’s Paradogma. Simone Piras has arrived to fill the void of Mercurio’s unceremonious departure on drums. And Paulo Pieri arrives as the band’s fourth growler (and rhythm guitarist) since its inception in 1999. That’s a pretty major overhaul of cast members. One that may cause lesser groups to just call it quits and move on.
Not Hour of Penance. They have at least a few more thoughts on their chests that need to be shared, the culmination of which is Sedition, the latest blast of frenzied and unrelenting death metal from the heathen horde. And with the short instrumental album opener aside, they feel the urge to deliver it as forcefully and as violently as they possible can.
With a powerful production akin to the likes of Behemoth (it’s loud!), Sedition roars it’s unholy message with a clean and layered sound. “Enlightened Submission” really gets things going with an eruption of blasting drums that just don’t quit and memorable guitar work. Vocally, Pieri is right up there with some of the best growlers today, slinging the band’s message with depth and vitriol, shifting his cadence in perfect time with the rumbling rhythm section. “Decimate the Ancestry of the Only God” delivers a decent bit of groove that weaves amongst the technical riffage and searing leads while “Fall of the Servants” unleashes a hellish blast of mayhem with unrelenting blasts staggered rhythms.
It is “Ascension,” however that really marks the peak of the album with not only an appropriately titled track, but also one of the more developed structures on the album. It’s also got a fairly catchy chorus that’s just begging you to growl along with. Piras leaves his mark on the album with outstanding work on “Sedition Through Scorn” as he stop/starts with destructive precision. The album ends strong and rather abruptly with the powerful “Blind Obedience.”
Despite Seditions’s polish and fullness (and loudness), there’s still room for improvement. Granted this is the first album with half the band freshly recruited and there are moments where it’s unrelenting delivery is just what the doctor ordered, but the album could do with a few more shifts in momentum to vary up the songs. Other than that, I have no qualms with the latest from Hour of Penance — they deliver the goodd with plenty of force and aggression.