SpiritWorld â Helldorado Review
By Dear Hollow
SpiritWorldâs lone appearance âround these here parts, like any good vigilante, is an entry in the 2022 AOTY list of then-n00b, now gone-but-never-unforgotten ItchyMenace for sophomore album Deathwestern. But guess what? Thereâs a new sheriff in town, and heâs mad as hell. So mad, heâll riff you at sundown in front of the town hall at high noon, so say âyeehawâ and âhowdy, pardner,â because that pianoâs gonâ stop at the saloon because thereâs a fire at the watering hole.1 Out in the desert, thereâs a snake with your bootâs name on it and a bullet with your name on it too. So tread lightly, cuz thereâs a big black train named SpiritWorld heading straight for your ass â to take you to Helldorado.
All Wild West stereotypes and John Wayne-isms aside, Vegas natives SpiritWorld have been going with the âdeathwesternâ trope for three albums now. Hardcore punk, thrash, death metal, and country have a hand on their revolver in this five-man shootout, sometimes all at once in an O.K. Corral massacre, sometimes in doses like a hefty shot of laudanum afterwards. Helldorado riffs first and foremost, with kickass and cutthroat Slayer shreds and D.R.I.-inspired hardcore attitude kicking in the saloon door with a steel-toed boot, while a spittoon of experimentalisms are like gooey tobacco made of black metal and jazz. Ultimately, in spite of consistency issues and one-note beatdowns, thanks to SpiritWorldâs utterly batshit ideas and straightforward viciousness, Helldorado is one mighty hell of a good time.
What keeps me coming back to Helldorado is the riffs, SpiritWorld completely surging with adrenaline. Crossover thrash a la D.R.I. gets the riffs going, with heftily constructed beatdowns of speedy Slayer leads (âNo Vacancy in Heaven,â âWestern Stars & the Apocalypse,â âWaiting on the Reaperâ), while more western-themed mid-tempo jaunts laced with gang vocals and meaty breakdowns bring the anvil of brainless mayhem (âAbilene Grime,â âStigmata Scarsâ). Compared to its predecessor, Helldoradoâs guitar tone is much more nimble, allowing it a cutthroat viciousness and weighted beatdown in equal measure. Vocalist Stu Folsom somehow injects a cowboy accent into his blend of Henry Rollins yells and James Hetfield sneers, always annunciating the lyrics for hardcore callouts.2 Bluesy country-western scales are built into every moment, manifesting in delicious leads, technical shreds, all alongside wailing heavy metal solos that seem to hit at just the right moments â culminating into something that feels a tad like a crossover Pantera. Itâs a kick to the groin, and youâll love every bit of it.
While the previous outing Deathwestern grew old with its overreliance on the chuggy riff, Helldorado changes things up considerably. While the majority of the album only features wild west-sounding melodies, some tracks throw off this structure like a rattlesnake in the boot â it serves to break the monotony of SpiritWorldâs omni-riffage. Youâll first notice the softer country twang that pervades some of the albumâs midsection, but its experimental vibes draws comparisons to Kirin J. Callinanâs âBig Enoughâ (yes, the screaming cowboy song),3 â âBird Song of Deathâ and closer âAnnihilismâ feature rough thrash vocals atop Jason Aldean-esque plucking in an odd concoction, while the whispery vocals and sidewinding sax solo in âPrayer Lipsâ are sure to turn some heads. âOblivionâ is a curious track, as its ridiculously chunky riffage builds up to a feature of Blackbraidâs SgahâgahsowĂĄh shrieking atop a thrash riff, later followed up by a punky solo by Rise Againstâs Zach Blair. Kreator/Sinsaenum guitarist FrĂ©dĂ©ric Leclercq contributes a rip-roaring solo to âStigmata Scars.â
Helldorado is just fun as hell. SpiritWorldâs riffage is front-and-center, but youâll also be singinâ these songs into the moonlight with a clunky guitar and a cup oâ cowboy coffee, pardner.4 With hell-raisin vocals, kickass riffs, and just enough experimental elements to keep you guessing (or scratching your head), it blows its predecessors out of the watering hole. Sure, in spite of the frivolities, SpiritWorld remains a one-trick pony â but Helldorado ensures they can ride that pony into the sunset.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: spiritworldprophet.bandcamp.com | spiritworldprophet.com
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025
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