Kill Devil Hill – Seas of Oblivion
Release Date: 20th September 2023
Label: Legend Recordings
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Genre: Heavy Metal
FFO: Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath, Sanctuary, Pantera.
Review By: Eric Wilt
On Wikipedia, Kill Devil Hill is described as a “supergroup.” That’s because when the band was formed it was anchored by bassist Rex Brown (Pantera) and drummer Vinnie Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio). This incarnation, which was rounded out by guitarist Mark Zavon and vocalist Dewey Bragg, released two highly touted albums, 2012’s self-titled album and 2013’s Revolution Rise, before Appice and Brown made their exits from the band. Flash forward ten years, and heavy metal is oversaturated with cringeworthy bands and in dire need of some heavy metal warriors. For every Alice in Chains out there, you have twenty Bring Me the Horizons and Five-Finger Death Punches. In 2023, true heavy metal needs a hero, and it appears that Kill Devil Hill is here to save the day. Refortified with new members, bassist Matt Snell and drummer Johnny Kelly, Kill Devil Hill continues to wave the flag of no-gimmicks, no-bullshit 100% pure heavy metal.
The new album, which releases on 20 September 2023, is called Seas of Oblivion and contains fifteen tracks of kick-ass heavy metal for those of us who miss the days of quality heavy music being played on the radio. Any of the tracks on the new album would fit perfectly on the air between Alice in Chains and Pantera or Megadeth and Deftones, and Kill Devil Hill achieves this—making metal with mass appeal—without sacrificing their integrity or the quality of the song. Take the first song, Blood in the Water, for instance. A catchy opening riff leads to a grooving verse that will get everybody’s heads bobbing. This is followed by a chorus that is just begging people to sing along, and nowhere is there a gimmick or a concession to formulaic pop-metal.
With fifteen songs on the album, it is natural to expect a song or two to be filler, but I just can’t find a single track that isn’t great. Every song is catchy, memorable, and expertly played. Zavon and Bragg haven’t missed a step in the ten years since their previous album, and the fact that the music is so good and still undeniably Kill Devil Hill, makes me wonder how much input Brown and Appice had in songwriting in the first place. If you’ve been looking for some heavy metal that doesn’t cater to the figureheads of the labels, Seas of Oblivion is for you.
(4 / 5)
