Spiritworld – Helldorado | Album Review

Time to get out your horse and strap on that saddle, we’re riding into hell with metal’s answer to Buffalo Bill’s Cowboy Band, Spiritworld.

Encased in pugnacious crossover thrash is Spiritworld’s third offering of Wild Western stylings and demonic tales, Helldorado. Though donned in jazzy suits and fuelled with whimsical concepts, do not be mistaken, Spiritworld are certainly not an all hat and no cattle band. Building their domain since 2020, they have consistently shown that they possess the specific alchemy to create an addictive riff. Their previous cut, Deathwestern, still having many fans hooked some three years later with its fierce combination of brutality and staunch creativity. 

Opening track ‘Abilene Grime’ is feistier than a western brawl. Kicking off the record with energetic honky-tonk shuffles, the band are quick to set the ambience as you are soon being dragged into hell to the sound of Slayer-esque riffs. The galloping prowess and fired-up grooves make no haste and continue to twang through following tracks ‘No Vacancy In Heaven’ and ‘Western Stars and the Apocalypse’. Previous albums Pagan Rhythms and Deathwestern were Spiritworld fleshing out their style. But, as opening cuts prove, this record is them nailing the vigorous amalgamation of full-throttle thrash and Hatebreed-infused boisterousness. 

Conceptually, Helldorado moves away from the story line unfolding in their previous two records which acted as accompaniments to Stu Falsom’s novel, Godlessness. Revealing a glimpse into the surviving characters’ acquaintance with the gates of hell set to feature in Falsom’s next novel. As such, Helldorado also slithers into new musical territory. Trading dive bombs for organ snippets, acoustic guitars and saxophones, Spiritworld offer their take on punk-tinted country ballads. While ‘Bird Song of Death’ transports you to a ratchet saloon with shady characters uniting over the chorus, ‘Prayer Lips’ places you under the stars, romantically swooning through the saxophone solo from RJ DeMarco, even in the face of impending doom.

Without losing a drop of authenticity or the signature western tone, it’s the trio of guest features that really ignite the record. Adding to the confident flair and dynamics, the purposefully placed guitar from Kreator’s, Frederic Leclercq, catapults penultimate track ‘Stigmata Scars’ into a furious league of its own. However, it’s Blackbraid vocalist Sgah’gahsowáh’s viciously malevolent vocals in ‘Oblivion’ that slip in seamlessly amongst the thundering riffage and the brute force of Rise Against’s Zach Blaires electrifying solo that take the crown as standouts on the record. 

There’s an awful lot going on in Helldorado. But, evidently, experimentation and risks can pay off. Simultaneously homing deeper into their vastly unique sound, Spiritworld have taken it one step further and demonstrated that they are not afraid to push their own boundaries. Oozing with genuinity and passion, they’ve bypassed conformant and released music that is true to them. If Helldorado is Spiritworld just getting started then we are in for a wild ride.