Though still a war themed album, On Divine Winds sees lyricist Martin Van Drunen switching fronts from the grim Eastern Front to the Pacific Theater but the quality of the music and delivery has not changed. Hail Of Bullets still play a heavily Bolt Thrower (maybe more so than the debut) and Stockholm influenced, crunchy, classic Euro death metal that culls from all of the band members’ other projects. While the immediacy and impact of a second album from such a quality line-up isn’t quite as dynamic as the debut, On Divine Winds shows that the chemistry of the members is as good as any supergroup out there right now. With the exception of Bloodbath.

Of course Van Drunen’s unmistakable voice is front and center, but the rest of the collective are as sharp as you’d expect. And while the production does seem to sound a little cleaner and lighter, it doesn’t stop the albums impact. The album leans more heavily on mid-paced, mud churning rumblers (“The Mukoden Incident”, “Full Scale War”, “Guadalcanal”, “On Coral Shores”, “Tokyo Napalm Holocaust” and standout “To Bear the Unbearable”) highlighting the bands increased Bolt Thrower throes. A few fierce up-tempo numbers (“Operation Z”, “Unsung Heroes”), strike with the precision and relentless force of a Kamikaze-attack (by the way, Kamikaze means “Divine Wind”). And while most of the tracks have a simple, permeable Bolt Thrower-with a chunky Dutch accent-tone, a hint of Stockholm gallop arises for the enjoyable trot of personal favorites “Strategy of Attrition”, bonus track “Sugar Loaf Hill”, and the numerous scrawling solos that arise in most , if not all the tracks.

The only thing lacking from an otherwise excellent album, is something quite intangible: Atmosphere. To me, …Of Frost and War conveyed a grey, bitter and barren landscape where a war of attrition and the elements claimed the lives of millions. On Divine Winds just never evokes the hostile climate and sheer ferocity of the conflict and its fearless, suicidal antagonists (depending which side you were on). The exceptions here are a brief sample in closer “Kamikaze” and the somber “To Bear the Unbearable, which admittedly addresses Japan surrender after the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The album’s largely mid-paced middle section just isn’t as feral and brutal as the jungle war fought in that theater.

Still, On Divine Winds is an ample, excellent follow up to …Of Frost and War, even with a more controlled pace and lacking the wow-factor of the debut, but it shows that Hail of Bullets are more than a one hit wonder, unlike many other supergroups.

HAIL OF BULLETS’ debut album ‘…Of Frost and War’ was a concept album about the Eastern front war of Germany. ‘On Divine Winds’ is another concept album, this time covering the Pacific battles between Japan and the USA.

Vocalist Martin van Drunen comments: “This time Hail of Bullets takes on the Pacific War. The expansion of the Empire of Japan throughout Asia, introducing a full scale war using all forces combined. The massive strike back of the Americans, whose marines bravely fought many tough and bloody battles on now forgotten insulate islands spread throughout the whole Pacific. This led to desperate Japanese defense tactics such as Kamikaze, human bullets and suicidal Banzai charges. Until finally, incendiary bombings brought the empire to its knees.”

The album title On Divine Winds refers to the translation for the Japanese word Kamikaze, as kami stands for “God” and kaze means “wind”.

On Divine Winds track listing:

1. The Eve Of Battle

2. Operation Z

3. The Mukden Incident

4. Strategy of Attrition

5. Full Scale War

6. Guadalcanal

7. On Coral Shores

8. Unsung Heroes

9. Tokyo Napalm Holocaust

10. Kamikaze

11. To Bear the Unbearable

On Divine Winds was produced by Ed Warby and like before the monstrous mix was in the capable hands of Mr. Dan Swanö.

Drummer Ed Warby adds: “I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard on anything in my entire life, but it sure has paid off! Although …Of Frost And War is a tough act to follow, my ringing ears tell me we’ve succeeded in besting it on every level: songs, playing, production… at the moment Dan Swanö is putting the final touches on a mix that could squash a tank, and then it’s off to the pressing plant! All the main ingredients of our blood ‘n’ guts style death metal have remained intact and I honestly can’t imagine anyone that liked our previous work is going to be the least bit disappointed… on the contrary!”

On Divine Winds will be released out October 12th in North America!

http://www.hailofbullets.com

http://www.myspace.com/hailoffuckenbullets

Comments drummer Ed Warby: “I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard on anything in my entire life, but it sure has paid off! Although ‘Of Frost And War’ is a tough act to follow, my ringing ears tell me we’ve succeeded in besting it on every level: songs, playing, production…at the moment Dan Swanö is putting the final touches on a mix that could squash a tank, and then it’s off to the pressing plant! All the main ingredients of our blood ‘n’ guts style death metal have remained intact and I honestly can’t imagine anyone that liked our previous work is going to be the least bit disappointed, on the contrary!”

The soon-to-be-titled album was produced by Ed Warby and like before, the monstrous mix was in the capable hands of Mr Dan Swanö.

HAIL OF BULLETS nailed down 11 songs plus intro.

More details on pre-orders, streaming MP3s, track listing, and the new artwork will be released shortly!

http://www.hailofbullets.com

http://www.myspace.com/hailoffuckenbullets

To be honest it isn’t must have release, other than hearing a strange choice of cover songs and two killer new songs- “Liberators” and “Warsaw Rising”, which I imagine will both surface on the next album. The cover song is heavy as hell, but just ….odd. Both the new tracks continue where …Of Frost left off: classic styled European death metal with heavy doses of Bolt Thrower and Asyphx with World War II based lyrics rendered by the suddenly active Martin van Drunen. “Warsaw Rising” is an up-tempo crusher that reeks of The Rack era Asphyx while “Liberators” is a slower, rumbling track that’s pure Bolt Thrower all with Van Drunen’s uniquely pained roars and screams.

And when Van Drunen is singing with a full band, he sounds great- one of the best voices in death metal ever. But as the three live tracks show, when he’s rasping his between song banter (in multiple languages no less) – it’s flat out fucking, nails on a chalk board annoying. Otherwise the live tracks are tight, heavy and solid renditions of their recorded counterparts, espcially the crumbling “Nachthexen”.

My only gripe with Hail of Bullets, isn’t really a gripe, but more to do with the fact I’ve been listening to the new Asphyx album, Death…The Brutal Way, and to be quite honest, the two bands are virtually indistinguishable from each other (even more with Asphyx having some war based songs). Not surprising considering they share two members, but at some point the bands have to get a more distinguishable, separate identity.

Dutch Death Metallers HAIL OF BULLETS go to war again with Warsaw Rising, an EP featuring two brand new tracks, one cover and three live recordings!

The new songs are ‘Liberators’, a rumbling ode to one of the most magnificent bombers ever built and the title track which tells the tragic tale of the bloody 1944 Warsaw uprising. A massive cover of the Twisted Sister classic ‘Destroyer’ and 3 tracks from the Bullets’ earth-shattering performance at last year’s Party.San Open Air complete the searing sextet!

Tracklisting Warsaw Rising:
1. Liberators
2. Warsaw Rising
3. Destroyer
4. Red Wolves Of Stalin *
5. Nachthexen *
6. The Crucial Offensive *
* live recording

The mini-CD will be released as a 6-page-Digipak sometime during the summer and will be available in a strictly limited edition of 2.000 copies only! First come first serve!

Of course there is a heavy, expected early Pestilence and Asphyx influence, but (in part to Dan Swano’s MASSIVE mid range mix and master) there is also a heavy Dismember tone due to the mix of well paced and melodic crunch as well as a heavy Bolt Thrower influence, and not just due to the war theme of the album (the entire album is based on Hitler’s ill advised Eastern Front campaign of WWII), but because of some thunderously pummeling faster moments that imbue tanks tracks lumbering over smoke filled battlefields.

As with the era Hail of Bullets are paying homage to, …Of Frost and War isn’t about speed or complexity but riffs and more riffs, all glued together with a sense of heft, restraint, melody and killer guitar tone that comes together to form that ‘special’ feeling that death metal has lost for many years with the exception of a select few bands and some of the genres stalwarts already mentioned.

Starting with the pure 90’s intro “Before the Storm (Barbarossa)”, Hail of Bullets launch into the pure Asphyx meets Bolt Thrower assault of “Onward Eastward” and don’t look back until the amazing “The Rack”-like, epic throes that close “Berlin”, which ends the album in classic fashion. Each track from the Dismember-ish heave and gallop of “The Lake Lagoda Massacre” and “Red Wolves of Stalin” through the monstrously loping “General Winter” and “Insanity Commands”, the Bolt Thrower rumble of “Nachthexen”, crushing groove of “Stalingrad” and afore mentioned epic closer “Berlin” are just fucking perfect in every facet.

While bands like Decrepit Birth and Origin have certainly pushed the boundaries of modern death metal, it’s bands like Dismember, Bolt Thrower, Fleshcrawl, Nominon, Demonical and Evocation as well as super groups like The Project Hate, God Among Insects, Bloodbath and Hail of Bullets that carry the torn and bloodied flag of classic death metal with a pride and conviction so few bands today have.