Hail Of Bullets is a new band, but their members have solid death metal pedigrees. The Dutch group's lineup includes vocalist Martin van Drunen (Bolt Thrower, Pestilence), guitarists Paul Baayens (Thanatos) and Stephan Gebedi (Thanatos, Legion), bassist Theo van Eeklen (Houwitser) and drummer Ed Warby (Gorefest).
Death metal and war go hand in hand, and Of Frost And War is a concept album about the Eastern front battles of World War II. Hail Of Bullets plays old school death metal that's straightforward and crushing. They do a nice job of changing up tempos so the album doesn't sound like one long song. The lyrics are interesting, and if you read them you might learn something about history.
van Drunen's vocals are an acquired taste. They are raspy and a bit higher pitched than the usual death metal vocals. They take a while to get used to, but his emotional style is perfect for the album's subject matter. Of Frost And War is old school death metal at its finest.
(released May 13, 2008 on Metal Blade Records)
