Estertor was formed by veterans from the metal scene in Barcelona about a decade or so ago, with the intention of writing death/thrash that captured the same fire and grit as the early US and South American acts. Their first two albums showcased a decidedly old-school sound with plenty of scorching riffs and speed alongside lyrics influenced by classic horror. For their third full length Evil Black Church, Estertor has leaned even further into the horror angle with material inspired by some of the more influential Italian films from decades past while continuing to blur the lines between death, black, thrash, and speed metal. It’s a bit more atmospheric and theatrical than their prior two releases but maintains the intensity and keeps the killer riffs flowing from beginning to end.
What drew me to Evil Black Church was how well Estertor captures that fine balance between black/thrash and death/thrash, as their tonality has that same scorching and powerful tone that makes it feel like the riffs are going to steamroll right over you. The title track spends much of its run opting for speed and flashier leads, but around the halfway point it stops to give listeners a chance to breathe and utilizes some more ominous sounding melodies and slower grooves for a short period of time before hitting the gas once again. Stylistically I get a mix of the 80s South American thrash sound crossed with something like Bulldozer or Incubus, and the band tends to shift from grittier death metal-tinged atmosphere over to more jagged black/thrash with ease. Tracks like “Scumbags from Hell” also bring in a bit more speed metal, giving off a similar vibe as bands like Baphomet’s Blood, and as a huge fan of this sound this made me want to crank things up to max volume. Compared to their past two albums, Evil Black Church still has plenty of speed and headbanging worthy riffs, but they do slow things down a bit more often to let that darker and spooky horror atmosphere build. This is especially noticeable on closer “Seven Portals of Evil” where a more ominous sounding melody hangs over the recording during the first half of the song, and then you get some creepier acoustic guitar added into the mix. I do think that this closer does feel a bit overstretched and could’ve been trimmed down by a minute or two, and there are a few other sections that blurred together slightly. But there’s so much the band absolutely nails that it has led to Evil Black Church being on repeat for some time, as Estertor crams one killer riff after another and the production values gives everything an appropriately dense, punchy sound.
While the riffs are sure to immediately draw in fans of old-school thrash, death, and everything in between, the vocal work is likely going to be what makes this album a bit more divisive. Vocalist Edu has this cleaner sung/yelled pitch that has a more theatrical flair to it, and the way that it reverberates over the recording gives off a commanding presence that is comparable to the narration from classic horror films. There’s a gruffness to his performance that comes in somewhere between Tom G. Warrior, Bulldozer’s AC Wild, and even Cultes des Ghoules, and while some may find it comes across as almost too over the top I thought it suited the sound Estertor was going for and gave them a more unique sound. But this approach isn’t all you get on the album, as you’ll hear harsher backing screams on the title track, and heavy/speed metal type falsettos and shrieks on “Scumbags from Hell”. There was more variety to the vocal work than I was initially expecting, and the shifts between the more extreme side of things over to the over the top and theatrical flair of some of the more heavy metal leaning moments results in some truly stand-out moments. You also get a horror sample on the interlude “March Of The Dèmoni”, which I think is taken from the Dario Argento film the song title is based on.
The closer could have been trimmed slightly and there are a few of the faster attacks that run together for me, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Estertor absolutely nails that old-school sound and has plenty of riffs that will immediately make you want to crank the volume. By exploring classic Italian horror more in depth, they’ve captured even more of that darker atmosphere and sense of dread without losing that sense of rabidness. The vocals may be what makes this a hit or miss with some people, but if you’ve been a fan of Bulldozer and related bands over the decades chances are good this one will click. Evil Black Church is available from Black Lion Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg