Hellbutcher: Vocals
Necrophiliac: Guitar
Iron Beast: Guitar
Eld: Bass
Devastator: Drums
Wimps and posers beware. From the depths of the black metal underground, one of its most elite figures returns with a new band and an even more evil attitude. As frontman of legendary Swedish maniacs Nifelheim, Hellbutcher upheld the bad name of real black metal with an iron fist. Now with this eponymous new band, the frenzied mission continues: nothing less than total metal mania will do. “The core of Hellbutcher encapsulates the true essence of metal,” he declares. “We are METAL, striving to refine and evolve our music and image to become the purest and heaviest among all extreme metal bands throughout history. Disregarding predefined trends and fashions, we will persist in the authentic path that metal was meant to follow!“
He’s not kidding. Having been a leader in the Swedish black metal scene since the early ’90s, this essence is truly in Hellbutcher‘s bones and flowing through his veins. Pure metal, total blasphemy, absolute musical Armageddon. “I play black metal. I have done that for four decades now, so I must obviously be possessed in some sense,” he says. “Musically, I don’t like wimpy stuff. [Our] music reeks of evil, the lyrics must be evil, that’s just a simple fact! Hellbutcher is music for real headbangers!“
Following the end of Nifelheim, who played their final show in late 2022, Hellbutcher himself wasted no time in forging forward. “I realised I needed to create my own band to uphold the true spirit of metal. I was incredibly inspired!” Teaming up with old compadres in evil, guitarists Necrophiliac (also of Mordant) and Iron Beast, bassist Eld and drummer Devastator (ex-Nifelheim), Hellbutcher quickly set about bringing this vision to life. In a short time, they had amassed enough material to record their raging, hellish, self-titled debut album. Recording in various locations around Sweden, such as Devastator’s own Red And Black Hall drum studio and Iron Beast’s Chrome studios, and producing and mastering everything themselves – “No need for an outside producer since we knew exactly how our band should sound” – it is a record that stands proud and unambiguous as a work or pure, metallic mayhem.
From the album’s opener, the crazed The Sword Of Wrath, Hellbutcher‘s intent is loud and clear. Channelling the spirit of Venom, Bathory, Iron Maiden, Exciter, Motörhead, Mercyful Fate and the aggressive spirit of true heavy metal, it’s an explosion of diabolic evil, performed mercilessly by true masters of the form. “It kicks off with an epic intro and then dives into a frenzy of thrashing guitars, followed by a powerful chorus and an obscure yet heavy middle section with shredding guitar solos – everything you’d want in a metal song, in my opinion,” explains Hellbutcher. “The song’s lyrics are somewhat metaphorical, inspired by my decision to continue the path I started decades ago with Nifelheim.”
Elsewhere, the shared fanaticism of the band’s members can be seen when Hellbutcher explains that the song Inferno’s Rage was musically composed without him by Necrophiliac, contributing the lyrics once the song was finished. “I’ve known him since the early ’90s, and his musical style aligns closely with mine,” says the singer. “This track stands as proof that he understands the very essence of Hellbutcher! Inferno’s Rage is an unrelenting onslaught of speed, coupled with touches of heavy metal in certain parts. It also shows the insane drumming of Devastator, who is acknowledged as one of the best drummers in the metal scene!“
With an enviable musical pedigree and a killer album to their name, Hellbutcher are certain to scorch a mark onto the black metal scene. The man himself believes this could be even more devastating than his previous output. “I believe this band has the potential to surpass Nifelheim; we’ve accomplished more in a year than I did in the last decade with Nifelheim,” he states. “The key difference lies in the fact that this band shares a common goal. I am now filled with tremendous inspiration, and I plan to create new songs, records, and gigs at a completely different pace than before.” Insisting in so many words that posers should die, and promising that their live shows “will be a neck-breaking experience“, the underground is about to be hit with an outbreak of evil unlike anything it has seen for a long time.
Time to turn the cross upside down: Hellbutcher are here, and they mean evil business.
