Band:	Urn
Album:	Demon Steel
Style:	Black metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	March 28, 2025
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Retribution Of The Dead
02. Heir Of Tyrants
03. Are You Friends With Your Demons
04. Burning Blood's Curse
05. Turbulence Of Misanthropy
06. Iron Star
07. Wings Of Inferno
08. Cold Void Skin
09. Ruthless Paranoia
10. Predator Of Spiritforms

Will these Finns rightfully Urn themselves a significant position in the blackened thrash hierarchy with Demon Steel?

Since forming in 1994, a combination of groovy black'n roll, traditional black metal and classic thrash has placed Urn in a similar category to bands such as Aura Noir, Desaster, Deströyer 666, Nifelheim, and Sabbat (JPN), who all emerged around the same time in the early 90s. Despite trailing these acts in terms of wider renown, Urn have still managed to assemble quite a prolific back catalogue of material that certainly deserves not to be overlooked by enthusiasts of this subgenre, from 2001 debut 666 Megatons through to their seventh and latest offering Demon Steel, which also marks their 30th anniversary.

Demon Steel follows the acclaimed Iron Will Of Power (2019), a fiery, explosive black-thrash effort; on its successor, sole remaining member and vocalist/bassist Sulphur is joined by guitarists Axeleratörr and Pestilent Slaughter along with drummer Kalle Salminen, who appears on his first Urn record. "Retribution Of The Dead" is a short but intense intro that clearly shows that the band do not intend to mess around; the steadily intensifying battle-ready rhythm, led by heavy mid-tempo instrumentation, aggressive vocals, demonic backing chants, and the sound of eerie church bells, eventually merges into the main opening song, "Heir Of Tyrants". From here, Urn unleash their devastating trademark blackened thrash through a relentlessly rampant tempo, shaped by varied rhythms from the thundering drums, accompanied by ferocious blackened thrash riffs overlapped by melodic leads and demonically savage semi-harsh vocals.

The current line-up of the band deliver an energy that's just as powerful and energetic as when Urn first emerged 3 decades ago. To go with this is arguably the band's most dynamic songwriting approach yet, successfully fusing traditional heavy and black 'n' roll elements with the thrash foundations in a way that delivers the best of both old-school and new. Each of the 10 tracks flows effortlessly into the next at breakneck speed, while containing ferociously catchy riffs, memorable wailing and shredding solos, and menacing verses and choruses galore, making a headbanging session irresistible. Urn have also come a long way production-wise; rather than sticking to their traditional raw and edgy sound, they've modernized their production into a much sharper, clearer and crisper sound quality.

Overall, Demon Steel is a mighty fine effort and grand addition to the modern blackened thrash category, with only a few minor pitfalls that could prevent it becoming a modern classic. One issue some might encounter is the heavy vocal presence, which I often feel takes excessive priority over the instrumentation, although they aren't overbearing to the point of irritation. The other point mitigating my enthusiasm for the record is that, although all songs are equally well crafted to the point of almost routine precision, nothing necessarily shouts out to me and gives me that chilling 'wow' factor. There's plenty of hooks and catchy melodies, and the musicianship is commendable, but I'm not left with a feeling of wanting to replay or return to what I've just heard. However, the ferocity behind the driving seat gives this album so much attitude and edge, and I do believe that what the album lacks in memorability it makes up for in consistency; it flows as one relentless onslaught, rather than offering a few outstanding tracks amidst filler.