Review by Sonny for Hexenbrett - Zweite Beschwörung: Ein Kind zu töten (2020)

Mysterious Germans Hexenbrett unleash their debut full-length album a year on from the Erste Beschwörung EP, a release that caused a minor splash in black metal circles back in January last year. If you read the blurb on the Bandcamp site then you would be forgiven for expecting an album that completely breaks the black metal mold which, to be honest, is a bit hyperbolic. What it does do however, is heavily raid the Darkthrone back catalogue and their penchant for marrying black metal and traditional heavy metal and diverts it into an exhilharating side street that runs parallel to the more mainstream world of black metal. Weirdly, the track titles are in a number of languages - German, Czech, Italian, French and Spanish, but most translate to a title you would expect from Glen Danzig or King Diamond - The Tomb Of The Living Dead, Corpse Burner and Through Seven Doors To Hell.
It's an enjoyable album that doesn't feel as po-faced as a lot of black metal and would probably be great for a midnight party in the local churchyard.