Spiritworld : Helldorado
After adopting its aesthetic trappings for the better part of a decade, Spiritworld’s third full-length Helldorado finds the Las Vegas-based band’s flirtations with country and western window dressing taking a firmer hold on the actual songs this time around. That’s not the main pulse of the album, but it’s there, giving the opening track, “Abilene Grime,” more of a dusty rock ‘n’ roll feel with its syncopated swagger. A more metallic pound thunders into the meat of the song, and the group opens up the pit by the end of the song with ’90s crossover hardcore energy and never let up from there.
By the second song “No Vacancy in Heaven,” Spiritworld gallop into the gunsmoke in more of a Bay Area thrash-inspired attack. The big gang-vocal choruses recall peak Biohazard at their most anthemic, with thrashing riffs gaining momentum. This momentum is only halted by the tumbleweeds rolling out for “Birdsong of Death,” as the band employ more of the country sounds hinted at in the first song, Stu Folsom’s gruff vocals hold little twang, but he delivers them with less of a bark here. The ’90s vibes flourish further on “Prayer Lips” as the group grows even more introspective and melodic, allowing the necessary space for its sax solo to make sense. Experimentation should always be celebrated, yet propelling “Waiting on the Reaper” plays to the band’s strengths. Writing hooky thrash riffs to inspire avid headbanging is their stock-in-trade. More metal bands should take note of this; you can be as artistic as you want, but at the end of the day if it is not at least forcing an involuntary head nod, are you doing metal right?
The chanted choruses and authoritative chugs that bring “Stigmata Scar” to life, meanwhile, are great fun. The vocals root the overall sound in hardcore to contrast the backdrop of thrashy riffing. Folsom declares here that the only thing he has left is fucking hate, a fitting sentiment given the state of life in 2025. “Annihilism” finds the band seeking to recommit to their take on country, and even though this element feels like it’s still a work in progress, it’s clear Spiritworld are willing to take the needed risks to work more melodic sounds into the bigger picture here. Their strength as a band remains writing and executing great thrash riffs, but they are well aware that a song needs much more than that.
Helldorado is the kind of album that should appeal to fans of classic hardcore and metal in equal measure. Spiritworld’s hybrid take on this genre blends the grooves of Join the Army-era Suicidal Tendencies with the hyper-aggression of a band like D.R.I. What sets these quick-draw thrashers apart from more explicit revivalists is less of a focus on capturing the sound of the era by producing it in a manner that fixates on a faithful homage. Instead they place the emphasis on honing their own unique identity—these cowboys are forging their own path.
Label: Century Media
Year: 2025
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