Hell Boulevard - In Black We Trust (2018) [Official Digital Download]

Hell Boulevard have already made time with their debut and also their second work "In Black We Trust" appears with two years distance. When the number of beats so many other current band presents that is almost slow. However, I have the hope that the quality of the songs and the production is correspondingly high. There is also a change in the line-up between the two albums. New man on bass is Raul Sanchez (Ex Eyes Shut Tight). Also in the production, they have secured considerable support with Chris "The Lord" Harms of Lord of the Lost. The extended tours of recent years not only offered the opportunity to gather a lot of live experience, but also to make contacts with other artists and, in part, to benefit from their experience. Next up is a tour with MONO INC. and an own headliner tour.

Among other things, "In Black We Trust" deals with the influence of religion on people's actions. Apparently, the band has been busy and fascinated by this theme for quite some time, which in turn has led to 4 songs on this album that deal exclusively with it. Packed the whole thing in a sound of dark rock, accented use of individual instruments and the combination of classical instruments with hard guitars and electronics.

I especially liked the voice of Matteo vDiva Fabbiani, who contributes a lot to the mood of the songs with her dark timbre. Here I can especially recommend "Dead Valentine". I admit, I fell in love with this song and still get goose bumps every time I hear it.

More power and a captivating hookline can be found on "Bitch Next Door" and also on the title track "In Black We Trust", which also surprises with an intro that reminds me of fairground music, only to really hit it.

With "Satan In Wonderland" with its fast, hard rhythm and the corresponding vocals, more epic sounds in the background bring that certain something. Finally, it will be very electronically with classic Dark / Gothicsound.

What you have to hear in any case is: Rest Well. Hell Boulevard proves that they can do it differently. A classic ballad, with a very reduced use of instruments, which works without any electronics, you can concentrate fully on the soulful vocals. It was definitely worth the wait here and in the future we will probably hear a lot from Hell Boulevard.

Tracklist:

01. In Black We Trust
02. As Above so Below
03. Satan in Wonderland
04. Thanks for Nothing
05. The Devil's Ark
06. Dead Valentine
07. Bitch Next Door
08. Zero Fucks Given
09. Gods Gone Wild
10. My Favorite Lie
11. Rest Well



All thanks go to the original releaser