Despite hailing from the West Midlands, you might be forgiven for suspecting Hellsworn had a touch of the Swedish about them.
Kicking off with the title track, Repulsive Existence is six slabs of HM-2-drenched old-school death metal that positively shimmers with the Sunlight sound.
The obvious references are of course Left Hand Path and Like An Ever Flowing Stream – two of the best records in the history of death metal. However, a touch of Bolt Thrower’s martial wall of noise also rears its gnarled head. The production is as heavy as lead-lined breeze blocks but without turning it into a fatiguing noise, and the riffs are catchier than tar-coated smallpox blankets. While Repulsive Existence isn’t exactly breaking new ground, it is executed very well indeed. Attitude is everything in this game, and Hellsworn have it in spades, playing with a real sense of fire. If 1990 holds a special pace in your patch-jacketed heart then Repulsive Existence is more than worthy of some space in your record shelves.
