With Bolt Thrower on-hold since 2005 (Those Once Loyal), at least in the full-length department, the super-group Hail of Bullets (with members that have experience in acts like the already mentioned Bolt Thrower, Pestilence, Asphyx, Thanatos, etc.) have been dominating the spectrum of old-school death metal bands that are portraying war-themes. III: The Rommel Chronicles (Metal Blade) is not a left turn in the themes that have been used by the Dutch band, but we can say that’s a left turn in the way things are approach. This time around the quintet of Amersfoort decided to focus his lyrical attention in one person and tell the story of that person’s life: the good moments, the bad moments, the glory and the death. That person? The German Field Marshall, Erwin Rommel. Decorated on World War I with the Pour le Mérite (a described moment in the song with the same name), he was also regarded as being a very humane person and a extreme professional officer, even though he was serving Adolf Hitler on World War II, where he has linked to the attempt of assassination of Hitler himself. That’s the big “game-changing” for Hail of Bullets. Having an approach that can be considerate more “human”, they manage to create a piece that’s a true rollercoaster of feelings and that puts the listener thinking about how life it’s not black and white and sometimes there’s an enormous lack of coherence.
Musically speaking it is Hail of Bullets, like always. They are not reinventing the wheel, changing the game but I think that’s not their intention anyway. They are just focused on creating great songs, great death metal songs with an obvious and rather delicious old-school death metal vibe and took the listener to various changeling and compelling moments. III: The Rommel Chroniceles is another irrefutable proof of the quality of Hail of Bullets and a record that must be present in every death metal fan’s playlist.
8.0/10
Tiago Moreira