Band:	Reign Of Fury
Album:	Death Be Thy Shepherd
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	February 27, 2015
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. Faustian Mastery
02. Harbinger Of Decay
03. Hypnotise The Masses
04. Gates Of Sanity
05. All Is Lost
06. The Love Of A Dying God
07. Sorrow Made Flesh
08. Death Be Thy Shepherd

This album is a masterpiece, it is all you want in a metal album. Powerful vocals that can soar high and reach the depths at a moment's notice, guitar riffs and solos that stick in your head hours after listening, and a heaviness that doesn't sacrifice melody. From start to end, Death Be Thy Shepherd is one long victory lap; each song serves a purpose and is as strong as the song that precedes it.

Hailing from Gloucestershire, Reign Of Fury are one of the brightest lights in the UK thrash scene in recent years, and with this album they probably create the best UK thrash album (yes, even rivalling Onslaught and Sabbat). The band's prior work slowly built to this point; I would highly recommend the previous album World Detonation when you've finished falling in love with this album.

While each song regularly clocks in at over 6 minutes, with the title track clocking in at 10 and a half minutes, they never outstay their welcome and utilize every second. "Faustian Mastery" is the perfect opening track, encapsulating everything this album has to offer; from powerful and catchy vocals to an unrelenting guitar attack, it starts off strong and doesn't look back. "All Is Lost" is a great example of how to start off slow and emotive before building into a fast-paced metal anthem, moving seamlessly from one to the other. "For The Love Of A Dying God" teases you with a building introduction before kicking up a gear and going on a tear.

Picking a favourite track off this album is nigh-on impossible as each track deserves to be picked; each offers some high-quality thrash with its own unique twist that is deserving of being listened to. If I had to cop out, I would treat the album as one long 59-minute track to dodge the question. Flaws? Nah, that's the one thing Death Be Thy Shepherd doesn't do.

The production work on this album is ideal; every instrument is in the foreground but never crowding anyone out, hearing every note with enough propulsion to knock you off your feet. The band showcase their talents in spades here, from Steed's powerful yet melodic vocals to the amazing fretwork of Priestly and Fury who treat us to riff after riff of pure undiluted metal. Bielby's bass finds its own niche between the Dave's drums and the guitar team, which adds to create the all-round sound the record has.

Listen and stand in awe, you won't regret it.