Adversarial - All Idols Fall Before the Hammer (Dark Descent Records) By: Justin Donnelly

[7/10] Adversarial is the latest signing to Dark Descent Records, after attracting the attention of the label following the release of their three track demo Thralls in 2008/ Having bolstered their line-up with the addition of Nuclearhammer bassist M.M. (vocalist/guitarist C. S. and drummer E. K. were the only members to play on ‘Thralls’), the trio entered the studio, and have finally managed to unleash their debut full-length recording All Idols Fall Before The Hammer.In short, this is one savage release, and exactly the sort of release that fans of nihilistic/primitive blackened death metal will thoroughly enjoy.

Opening with the sounds of tolling bells for just over a minute, “Thralls” eventually gets underway with a slow riffing passage, before the trio blast away with the cacophony of Hell. There’s plenty of inventiveness heard within the drumming and the guitar riffing, while the guttural vocals of C.S. remain in the lower register for the song’s duration. Despite the obvious song writing strengths within the band, the production can be a little off-putting with the snare drum evidently high in the mix, which more often than not dominates the attention of the listener.

The equally intense “Churning the Storm” for the most part follows a similar path musically and pace wise, while the title track “All Idols Fall Before the Hammer” manages to mix things up a little more with some transitions between the slower and faster passages, even if only every now and then.

The longer and slower instrumental “In A Night of Endless Pain, War Came To Flood His Heart...” is definitely one of the album’s standout tracks with some progressive influences making their way into the song writing to create some really interesting twists within the song, while the full-on blast of “Ruin Enshrined”, “Scourge Of A World Ablaze” (one of the few songs where the bass is given a bit more of a boost in the mix) and the rather short and frenzied attack of “Death.Rot.Monolith” see the trio return to familiar assaulting territory.

Finishing up the album is “...In Black Vault’s of A Death God”, which is another of the album’s stronger efforts where the mix of tempos manages to shake things up enough to keep it interesting throughout its duration.

Apart from the production (which may very well be exactly what the band was looking for in the first place), All Idols Fall Before The Hammer is an impressive debut from Adversarial, and one that’s sure to attract the attention of those who worship blasting blackened death metal in its rawest form.

www.myspace.com/adversarialmusic