Chilean blackened thrashers Hellish find their invincible force on new album, The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents. After two neck-breaking full-lengths — Grimoire (2016) and The Spectre of Lonely Souls (2018) — the Santiago-based quartet of Cristian León (drums), Francisco Sanhueza (guitars), Javier Salgado (guitars), Cristopher Aravena (vocals/bass) have re-centered their attack. From the vio-aggression trem barrage of “The Ancient Entity of the Darkest Light” and the introspective head-smash of “Violent, Bloody & Cold” to the bullet spray of “Goddess Death” and pit-friendly “Dreamlike Fears,” Hellish throw swords from the first Teutonic invasion (Sodom, Kreator, and Destruction). Yet, there’s a bit more nuance to Hellish. They’re skilled musicians, metallic thought leaders in a space that doesn’t allow much re-invention.
Hellish were formed in 2010. They join a growing cauldron of quality (blackened) thrash acts like Behead, Mental Devastation, Mayhemic, and Demoniac, all of whom have made their respective international marks recently. Unlike their peers, the warriors in Hellish take on a mysterious occult stance. Housed in a nation of Catholic Church attendees (at 42% give or take), the quartet’s dark viewpoint is probably not going to win them mainstream accolades, but that isn’t the point of Hellish. They live and breath metal, as it was in the ’80s so it is now. Not that couldn’t record in Chile, but The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents was captured between candlelight and cemetery worship at Estudios Romaphonic (nee Circo Beat) where the likes of Rata Blanca and fucking Carlos Santana laid down their fiery tracks. That is to say, The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents roars out of the speakers, angry, sharp, and battle ready.
Rage with terrible certainty on Hellish’s The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents now! Or, bit the bullet (belt).
