Reviewed by Ian Webber

This full length album of original material is the first new music from the California-based thrash band for over 20 years. Wickeds End, who broke up in 1995, reformed last year and have signed to SkyBurnsBlack Records. Returning with a much more lumbering, dark sound than a frenetic speed fest, "Divine Anointing" opens with a muddy growl and throbbing guitar work. You can clearly hear classic metal influences with "Breath Of The Prophet" showcasing a riff that has the feel of Ted Kirkpatrick's Tourniquet with some tight changes in tempo. Noise levels do not abate throughout the first four tracks, all having a similar feel and structure. "Lord Of Hosts" then provides a little more variety and includes a classical outro reminiscent of the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. There is a progressive feel about many of the tracks, with some coming in at over seven minutes long, but production is not always consistent. Each individual instrument can be heard within the mix although, at times, the cymbals do sound too thin and the set has the feel of being recorded in a box. Although the lyrics are not clear, these can easily be obtained from the band's website and reveal an end-times theme throughout that is full of the hope found in Jesus. Wickeds End may have been away for a long spell, but this 10-track comeback release shows that they can still trade chops with the best exponents of hard music in a solid, if not imaginative way.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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