Allfather – A Violent Truth | Album Review

Allfather take just 27 minutes to excise two years of pandemic-driven anxiety and rage, accompanied by an intoxicating blend of equal parts sludge, thrash and hardcore.

The pacing of A Violent Truth is superb, with each new section evolving sharply into the next. Opener ‘Poison Soil’ showcases vocalist Tom’s impressive range, moving between a snarl, growl and a banshee scream at will. The lyrics perfectly capture that post-pandemic blend of anxiety and impotent rage, with much of the ire directed at the insidious rise of the alt-right and contemporary fascism. Every word has been carefully considered to inflict maximum damage on these faceless foes, and they’re delivered with a conviction and intensity that the rest of the band more than match.

This record is at its best when Allfather make their signature turn from glacial, considered doom-mongering into raw, pummelling aggression. It’s a move that occurs a few times throughout A Violent Truth but it’s always pulled out of the bag at the perfect moment, continually building tension before brutally breaking it to pieces. It’s a testament to the band that they can shift the tone of songs so effortlessly – where in lesser hands these songs would sound scattered and unfocussed, the pure venom and conviction the songs are injected with here make the blend of influences sound totally authentic and natural. The only loss of momentum is when the barrage of riffs gives way to the occasional guitar solo, which seem to serve little purpose in the wider context of the album.

The production is excellent throughout, clean and well balanced but with the rough edges that keep things from sounding too clinical. The vocals cut through the walls of fuzzed-out guitar perfectly, and the whole record seems to breathe in the same way a great live performance does.

Final track ‘Cast off the Cross’ is an exhilarating ride through every flavour and texture Allfather can conjure. Exploding out of a squall of feedback, the track pulls no punches and features some of the best vocal work on the album. It’s ugly, frantic and sounds almost on the verge of collapse before we head back into doomier territory for the second half of the song. It’s another exceptionally paced track that is only let down by a rather lazy sounding fade out at the end, which is a weak way to end an album that for the rest of its runtime has been so perfectly constructed.