For a two track demo, this long-awaited debut of Memoriam featuring Bolt Thrower frontman Karl Willetts, is pretty damn impressive.
Memoriam is clearly and undeniably Willetts. His voice is so recognisable to those of us who have grown up loving the former glory of Bolt Thrower and their existence. As we are also too well aware, Willets is a fan of writing lyrics about the trials and tribulations of war, and that is clear from the get go on this two track. Song titles being ‘Drone Strike‘ and ‘Surrounded (By Death)‘ and further evidence to this is the cover art for the 7″ mini, plus any google search of what to expect from Memoriam’s release is all too clear.
Memoriam is in no way too far removed from Bolt Thrower (although that may change when the album ‘For the Fallen‘ is released in March) and I’m ok with that. They have always been one of my ‘go to’s’ because Bolt Thrower was just so reliable. We loved ’em because we knew what to expect and therefore they never disappointed.
Having been a fan of BT for over two decades and never being able to see them, therefore, cross them off my bucket list with the unfortunate and untimely death of their drummer “Kiddie” just before their long awaited Australia tour it is a dream now buried. But, with Memoriam there is hope! Not in a reincarnation of Bolt Thrower of course but in spirit. With Bolt Thrower now on a seemingly permanent hiatus, Karl got talking with a few old mates out of a band known as Benediction (Fuck YESSS!) no less, and Memoriam was given life.
An apt description then of Memoriam is almost as simple as Karl Willetts on vocals and that awesome early nineties death metal guitar sound of Benediction. Two great entities from the ’90 made one in the new millennia. Four awesome old schoolers educating some of the new breeds on the art of simplicity.
So…what we have presented before us is ‘The Hellfire Demo’s‘ and without disrespect, they are clearly just that; a demo.
