Album Review – Chainsword / Born Triumphant (2024)

This ruthless Polish brigade returns with their sophomore album crafted as a revival of the old school Death Metal sound, bringing the horrors of war while also inspired by the vast, dystopian universe of Warhammer 40k.

Three years after the release of the excellent Blightmarch, Warsaw, Poland-based Death Metal brigade Chainsword returns to the front with their sophomore opus, titled Born Triumphant. Recorded at Primate 666 Studio (vocals, guitars and bass) and by by Mikołaj Kiciak at Santa Studio (drums), mixed, mastered and reamped by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio, and displaying a warlike artwork by Paweł Charkowski, Born Triumphant was crafted as a revival of the old school Death Metal sound, wit its lyrics being based on horrors of war and/or inspired by the vast, dystopian universe of Warhammer 40k, all brought into being by vocalist Herr Brummbär, guitarists Sarin Spreizer and Herr Hoffman, bassist Wutender Ente, and drummer Herr Feldgrau.

Like a ruthless brigade form hell the band begins their Death Metal onrush with Nekrodermis, where the riffs by Sarin Spreizer and Herr Hoffman will inspire you to bang your head nonstop in the name of war and evil, whereas the devilish, deep vociferations by Herr Brummbär will haunt your damned souls in Sinistramanus Tenebrae, while Herr Feldgrau keeps hammering his drums in a classic Death Metal extravaganza. After that we have Wrapped in Barbed Wire and Yellow Fog, another pulverizing display of Death Metal where Wutender Ente hammers his bass mercilessly while the bands guitar duo cuts our skin deep with their sick riffs, meaning it should work extremely well if played live; and there’s no time to breathe as they keep delivering sheer aggression and gore in Abominable Intelligence, a beyond heavy and infuriated tuned where Herr Brummbär’s roars sound visceral. And in Grand Funeral Pyre we face guest vocals by GÄMBIT, who bursts his lungs screaming (therefore adding a extra rebellious vibe to the music) while the band puts the pedal to the metal in the most thrashing way imaginable.

Switching gears to a more cadenced rhythm and vibe while still sounding demonic and heavy, Herr Feldgrau smashes his drums in an ode to 90’s Death Metal titled Ov Flesh and Steel, setting the stage for the band’s guitars to shine; then featuring guest vocalist Janek Kulinicz, Trident, Rise! is a headbanging composition by Chainsword that sounds a bit like a random Metallica song (except for the guttural vocals of course), followed by Death to the Enemies ov Man, a merciless Death Metal attack by those Polish marauders where Herr Feldgrau obviously sounds inhumane on drums, leading his bandmates to total annihilation. The second to last song of the album, entitled Mankind’s Last War, offers us all six minutes of no shenanigans, straightforward Death Metal that’s true to the foundations of the genre, with their guitars, bass and drums sounding tight and sharp until the very last second, and there’s still time for one final blast of brutality titled L-G P, again showcasing the guttural roars by Herr Brummbär amidst an endless amount of heaviness and rage.

The imposing Born Triumphant is available for a full and detailed listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but if you consider yourself a true trooper of Death Metal you should support the band by buying a copy of the album from their own BandCamp or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and all other things surrounding the most ruthless brigade to ever arise from Poland. In a nutshell, Chainsword once again bring the horrors of war in the form of top-of-the-line Death Metal in their newborn opus, a highly recommended soundtrack to dive deep into the muddy trenches of the warfield as the battle rages on.

Best moments of the album: Sinistramanus Tenebrae, Wrapped in Barbed Wire and Yellow Fog and Death to the Enemies ov Man.

Worst moments of the album: Trident, Rise!.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Nekrodermis 3:36
2. Sinistramanus Tenebrae 4:20
3. Wrapped in Barbed Wire and Yellow Fog 3:10
4. Abominable Intelligence 2:59
5. Grand Funeral Pyre 3:55
6. Ov Flesh and Steel 4:22
7. Trident, Rise! 5:16
8. Death to the Enemies ov Man 5:03
9. Mankind’s Last War 6:00
10. L-G P 6:30

Band members
Herr Brummbär – vocals
Sarin Spreizer – guitar
Herr Hoffman – guitar
Wutender Ente – bass
Herr Feldgrau – drums, backing vocals

Guest musicians
GÄMBIT – vocals on “Grand Funeral Pyre”
Janek Kulinicz – vocals on “Trident, Rise!”

Album Review – Chainsword / Blightmarch (2021)

These vicious Polish troopers are ready to spread the flames of war and conflict in a death and doom inferno armed with their brutal debut opus.

Founded in 2016 in Warsaw, Poland with the sole purpose of waging war, a five-men Death Metal squad known as Chainsword is ready to spread the flames of conflict in a death and doom inferno armed with their debut opus, entitled Blightmarch, living up to the legacy of renowned acts the likes of Unleashed, Bolt Thrower and Benediction, among several other Death Metal giants. Mixed, mastered and reamped by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio, and displaying an old school, warlike artwork by Argentinian draftsman and painter Wilson Germán Arrieta, Blightmarch will invite you to head into the battlefield alongside vocalist Herr Brummbär, guitarists Sarin Spreizer and Herr Hornad, bassist Wutender Ente and drummer Herr Feldgrau, turning into ten first-class Death Metal tunes all the darkness, hatred and violence of war.

And those troopers are ready to pulverize us all with their heavy artillery in the opening tune Ost Front 1943 – Stalingrad, where Herr Brummbär vociferates like a demonic entity while Herr Feldgrau blasts his drums in great Death Metal fashion, kicking off the album on an infernal note; whereas in Spinehammer the band’s guitarists Sarin Spreizer and Herr Hornad fire unrelenting Thrash and Death Metal riffs for our total delight, resulting in a fulminating tune perfect for slamming into the pit (not to mention Herr Brummbär sounds even more demented on vocals), followed by Horus, the Chosen Son, where we’re treated to austere words barked by Herr Brummbär (“The foundation of terror / The shadow of torment / When hate consumes / the souls of man / It now is my mission / My final conquest / The right hand of chaos / That I become”) accompanied by the thunderous kitchen by Wutender Ente and Herr Feldgrau. More of the sick riffage by Sarin Spreizer and Herr Hornad permeates the air in the obscure Death Metal hymn Ost Front 1942: Moskau, with the rhythmic beats by Herr Feldgrau inviting us all to crack our necks headbanging like maniacs, and another Stygian wall of sounds smashes our senses in the vile Dead Hand Call, where Chainsword’s guitar duo not only keeps delivering sheer violence through their riffs, but also through their sick solos.

Bringing elements from Thrash and Groove Metal to their core malevolence, Chainsword will destroy anyone who crosses their path in Exterminatus, a lesson in Death Metal showcasing a brutal drumming by Herr Feldgrau amidst tons of groove and harmony blasted by the band’s stringed trio, and there’s no time to breathe as they continue their ode to violence and war in Daemonculaba, a true headbanger where Herr Brummbär roars and growls manically, always supported by the visceral riffs and bass jabs by his bandmates. Then featuring guest guitarist Cheesy Dude (aka Piotr Sadza of Belzebong and Weedpecker) and guest vocalist Nun (aka Lech Kowal of Sun No More), the title-track Blightmarch is as vile and demonic as its predecessors, keeping the album at a high level of animosity, whereas their war-like Death Metal keeps crushing our skulls in Dreadquake Mortar, sounding heavier-than-hell and demented from start to finish, with Herr Brummbär stealing the spotlight with his grim guttural lines. Lastly, we face 06.08 9:15, with the name of the song representing the date and time when the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, August 6, 1945 at 9:15am. Musically speaking, it’s another old school, vicious Death Metal onrush to end the album in the heaviest and darkest way possible.

In case you’re curious to know how Chainsword’s hybrid of Death Metal and war sounds in Blightmarch, you can stream the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you consider yourself a true Death Metal soldier you should definitely purchase the album from Chainsword’s BandCamp page, from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore, or from Apple Music. Also, in order to properly enlist in their army of extreme music, simply follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for more of their music, news, tour dates and everything else surrounding Chainsword in the battlefield. Having said that, what are you waiting for to put your dirty hands on such pulverizing album of Death Metal made in Poland? Let’s all join the attack!

Best moments of the album: Spinehammer, Exterminatus and Daemonculaba.

Worst moments of the album: Horus, the Chosen Son.

Released in 2021 Godz ov War Productions

Track listing
1. Ost Front 1943 – Stalingrad 4:03
2. Spinehammer 3:30
3. Horus, the Chosen Son 4:24
4. Ost Front 1942: Moskau 4:19
5. Dead Hand Call 3:37
6. Exterminatus 4:56
7. Daemonculaba 4:31
8. Blightmarch 3:42
9. Dreadquake Mortar 3:51
10. 06.08 9:15 5:15

Band members
Herr Brummbär – vocals
Sarin Spreizer – guitar
Herr Hornad – guitar
Wutender Ente – bass
Herr Feldgrau – drums, vocals

Guest musicians
Cheesy Dude – guitars on “Blightmarch”
Nun – additional vocals on “Blightmarch”