Band:	Brodequin
Album:	Harbinger Of Woe
Style:	Brutal death metal
Release date:	March 2024

01. Diabolical Edict
02. Fall Of The Leaf
03. Theresiana
04. Of Pillars And Trees
05. Tenaillement
06. Maleficium
07. Vii Nails
08. Vredens Dag
09. Suffocation In Ash
10. Harbinger Of Woe

Should brutal medieval torture really sound this fun? Well, Brodequin seem to think so.

Brodequin are a US brutal death metal band formed back in 1998 by brothers Jamie Bailey (bass/vocals) and Mike Bailey (guitar), during a time when this most extreme of genres was still fresh on the metal scene and arguably at its very peak. The band name Brodequin is inspired by the French medieval torture method of the same name, and I must say, they've done a bloody good job in honouring such grisly themes, bringing those sickening soundscapes to life through pure quality and vile brutal death metal.

The duo went on to release their full-length debut Instruments Of Torture in 2000, followed up by a further two releases in Festival Of Death (2001) and Methods Of Execution (2004), before disbanding from 2008 to 2015. Having reunited, Brodequin's 4th full-length offering, Harbinger Of Woe, arrives after a 24-year gap to its predecesor. With new drummer Brennan Shackelford on board, hammering his cymbals with devastating force, alongside Jamie's deep monstrous growls and bone-crushing bass lines, and Mike's groovy riffs and buzz saw ripping solos, Harbinger Of Woe promises to be a more than worthy comeback, and believe me, it is.

The first winning factor for me though is just how groovy the songwriting on this latest effort is; I mean, this album is clearly not a typical representation of a genre that's usually known for its common brutal slamming structures and overwhelming technicality, as opposed to anything remotely melodic. But I can assure you the band have in no way lost their brutal touch; in fact, they're back stronger, heavier, and even more vile than ever, and it's the almighty powerful tone, densely suffocating production, and sheer ferocity that play key roles in maintaining the album's unprecedentedly high level of brutality.

Another remarkable factor that this album has going for it is the way in which the 10 tracks featured relentlessly flow from one to the next without any disruption. The shorter-than-average running time of 31 minutes also really helps here, as each track is only lasts for a couple of minutes, and despite the album seeming like it's over in a flash, the high groove factor and short length makes for incredible replay value (if you can stomach the album's sheer brutality, of course). Just to give you an idea of the album's high level of groove, you have the main single "Of Pillars And Trees", which could well prove to be one of the catchiest yet heaviest tracks you'll hear all year when it comes to brutal death, containing all the grooviness of Bloodbath whilst delivering all the extremity of Dying Fetus, and the light atmospheric synth work behind the instrumentation only adds more depth to the song's overall structure. However, that main single is only a mere smidgen of what this beast of an album offers.

From the Death's Leprosy-inspired riff melodies and distinctive wailing solo of "Vredens Dag", to the outrageously ferocious drum beats, echoing screams and howls of "Suffocation In Ash" (ideally titled, as the track itself sounds as if it's suffocating the listener into submission), and also the mid-tempo buzzsaw slogs, wailing leads, and sinister spoken words of the sickening closing title track, Harbinger Of Woe not only carries the band's legacy forward, but pushes those boundaries even further. Overall, Brodequin offer more than a simple run-of-the-mill slamming brutal death record, and this new release will avoid becoming lost in the endless sea of releases within this oversaturated genre.