Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Atlanta’s Death Of Kings are keeping old-school style traditional thrash metal alive, my friends. With a sonic vibe similar to early Slayer, Exodus or Hirax, Matt Matson (lead vocals, guitar), Scott Price (bass guitar, vocals), Matt Kilpatrick (guitar, vocals), and Amos Rifkin (drums, vocals) kick-ass as Death Of Kings.
The band itself has been active since 2009 and recently issued their ‘Hell Comes To Life‘ EP/Maxi-Single via Boris Records. The two-track effort consists of the title track original and a blistering interpretation of Judas Priest’s “Hell Patrol“.
This is vintage-tinged modern thrash that bands like Evile, Warbringer, and Havok have become so well-known for. Forget them for now, because Death Of Kings is here to deliver the goods with this pair of face-melting tracks. “Hell Comes To Life” is an intense shredder crafted with fiery guitar antics and head-spinning drum work. The solo alone in this will have your ears smoking from just hearing it.
The band recently commented on the track saying:
“Hell Comes to Life is an embodiment of our band philosophy and indicative of the intensity of our live performances. Overcome with rage and out for blood, this record evokes visions of a disgraced priest massacring his village after witnessing his wife’s immolation at the stake. Accompanied by scorching guitars and thundering drums, he takes his revenge.”
The band put their own volatile stamp on the Judas Priest classic “Hell Patrol“, as well. With high energy and breakneck WFO (wide-fucking-open) attitude, the original vibes are present but the guys sure ratchet up the intensity on their version. The scathing vocal style is a nice touch, too. Here’s your shot to hear the EP in its entirety below. Enjoy!
