Band:	Bütcher
Album:	On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing
Style:	Black metal, Heavy metal, Speed metal
Release date:	October 25, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. A Divine Wind
02. Speed Metal Samurai
03. Blessed By The Blade
04. Koraktor's Iron Rule
05. Keep The Steele (Flamin' Hot)
06. A Sacrifice To Satan's Spawn
07. A Gypsy's Tale (Of Sex And Seance)
08. An Ending In Fyre

Bütcher haven't butchered their legacy entirely as blackened speed is still well and truly at their core despite them making a few remarkable new alterations.

Bütcher are a Belgian blackened heavy/speed band formed by vocalist R Hellshrieker back in 2002. The band went on a brief hiatus following several demos from 2007-2014, only to return again with a fresh line-up intact, who would then unleash their full-length, furious, blackened speed debut Bestial Fükkin' Warmachine in 2017. 666 Goats Carry My Chariot then followed in 2020, a sophomore that carried on the legacy of the debut, and, you could say, even lived up to its high standards. The band now return 4 years later, still steered at the helm by R Hellshrieker and with KK Ripper on guitar. However, further changes have been made to the line-up, with KV Bonecrusher picking up guitar after handing over bass duties to new bassist AK Nosferatöron, and new drummer R Voidsmasher also on board. With this team assembled, the band unleash their 3rd full-length offering On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing.

On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing doesn't hold back on traditions, blending classic thrash, speed, and NWOBHM, with original foundations of black metal, but the band not only continues this legacy but incorporates new features, creating a concept with a unique story written by R Hellshrieker. "A Divine Wind" is a unique, short intro that kicks things off with a striking drum solo, before some traditional heavy riffs and wailing solos swing into action. This swiftly merges into the aptly titled "Speed Metal Samurai", a classic, no-nonsense, catchy, energetic, blackened, speedy song containing all the ingredients you'd come to expect, from aggressive semi-harsh shrieks, ferociously melodic thrash riffs, and classic rapid solos, all driven by a rampaging groovy rhythm section. This song is a traditional, energetic, and enjoyable headbanger. Think of the ferocity and groove of Slayer's Show No Mercy, with the attitude and old-school energy of Motörhead, then throw in spikes of blackened fury, and this sums up the approach for most of what's to come.

At the early stages, On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing is not the most original stylistic approach. Many other bands have succeeded in this exact method, most notably Hellripper and Bewitcher, but it's definitely effective in getting your adrenaline pumped and blood rushing for some real headbanging action. For some metalheads, this style has been done way too often before, and may be on the verge, if not become tedious already. For many others, though, the groovy savagery is simply too infectious to ignore. I mean, find me riffs catchier than the one's performed on "Koraktor's Iron Rule" and "A Sacrifice To Satan's Spawn" from 2024.

The last 3 tracks are where things start to get interesting. "A Sacrifice To Satan's Spawn" takes on a much darker side, featuring haunting, demonic narrations and a tinge of eeriness from organs. Yet it's still exceedingly catchy, with traditional heavy melodic riffs that are right up there with Running Wild and early Iron Maiden in terms of memorability. "A Gypsy's Tale (Of Sex and Seance)" is even more bizarre, though: the introduction of the sitar is a particular weird touch, adding a hint of Middle-Eastern spiritual psychedelia. But the other striking feature is the gnarly OSDM gutturals and buzz-saw guitar sound. This is, in essence, a combination of classic thrash and death, and its unpredictable and baffling songwriting is certainly a step away from their comfort zone. Closing the album at just under 10 minutes, "An Ending In Fyre" is equally diverse. The song remains fast-paced, energetic, and catchy through to the end, highlighted by highly melodic, intertwining guitars, but haunting synth sections are introduced to create more dynamics to the atmosphere, as well as a more varied range in vocal style.

Mayhemic, Bewitcher, and Wraith have all contributed greatly towards the blackened categories of traditional heavy, speed, and thrash in 2024, presenting offerings of such fine quality, but none have quite matched the uniqueness of Bütcher's On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing. I'd go as far as saying this is the band's mightiest effort to date and could well signal an opportunity for which Bütcher can stand out from the rest of the scene.