Siege Column
Nocturnal Attack Formation/Secret Forces of the Pentagram
Nuclear War Now! Productions
Released: 4/2022
Version Reviewed: 12″ LP, Purple Pus, Limited Edition
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A1 – Nocturnal Attack Formation
A2 – Fire from the Pentagram
A3 – Lone Wolf Warrior
A4 – Dungeon with No End
A5 – Violence and Steel
B1 – Intromancy
B2 – Final Crush of Armageddons
B3 – Secret Forces of the Pentagram
B4 – Angel Countess
B5 – In Darkness Crypt
B6 – Evil Fighters
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Under-recognized and underrated, New Jersey’s Siege Column create a perfectly fluid blend of black metal, death metal and thrash metal, and present the amalgamation in pure analog. Their 2022 compilation, ‘Nocturnal Attack Formation/Secret Forces of the Pentagram,’ released by Nuclear War Now! Productions, is a reissue of both of the band’s 2016 demos on vinyl for the first time.
Side A is the ‘Nocturnal Attack Formation’ demo, originally released on cassette by the band in January of 2016. Opening with the intro title track, one hears the immediate presence of analog production. The most noticeable impact is on drums, which gives the bass drums a cold, flat, boxy tone, the snare a sharp mid-centric pop and the cymbals a crisp slice with equal tonal presence to the prior-mentioned snare. The guitars are warm and guttural with a strong presence in the mix.
‘Fire from the Pentagram’ invokes the old gods of Sodom, Slaughter Lord, and ‘Show No Mercy’-era Slayer with its use of screaming whammy accents and downbeats. Tremolo riffs grind over top barked, almost incomprehensible double-vocal attacks.
‘Lone Wolf Warrior’ rides on combinations of furious headbanging d-beat style drumming, blastbeats and thrashy punk style double-kick to drive it into terminal fury. ‘Dungeon with No End’ is the shortest track on Side A and features a screaming double guitar solo to close the track, made more scorching by the analog heat.
‘Violence and Steel’ opens on a short intro of vintage analog synth pulses and features the fastest footwork by multi-instrumentalist Joe Aversario and a haunting guitar melody to close the side.
Side B is the true highlight of the compilation, ‘Secret Forces of the Pentagram,’ the demo originally released by Siege Column in August of 2016.
Opening with ‘Intromancy,’ an intro featuring screaming guitar feedback and gorgeous vintage analog synth.
The first proper track is ‘Final Crush of Armageddons’ and one can immediately hear a more refined Siege Column, a band that has evolved in the short months from the release of ‘Nocturnal Attack Formation.’ One can hear the refinement immediately; better production, more precise execution, more concise approach to the songwriting, the focus has been narrowed down, the target has been locked in. It is no longer a random spray of bullets; the fire is focused, the hunger for death has intent behind it now. Beginning with a main riff consisting of palm-muted open power-chords interchanging with huge sounding slides and a ripping solo, the downbeat accents heading into the first break feels like travelling into the bizarrely calm eye of the storm. Then the ripping begins. Total blasting fury, incomprehensible vocal attack, guitar solo maelstroms. The monster has evolved on all accords and fronts.
The next two songs pair well with one another, the title track is an insane rage of unhinged off-the-rails blasting and guitar solos, while ‘Angel Countess’ slows things down with a rare slower opening riff and a mid-tempo approach.
“In Darkness Crypt” opens with analog synth and is a standard ripper more reminiscent of the material heard on ‘Nocturnal Attack Formation.’ “Evil Fighters” is the final track of the album and opens with a mid-1980’s style thrashing drum rhythm that breaks and gives way into a more hardcore-oriented rhythm.
The emphasis on analog production cannot be understated here. This is a truly pure analog tonal experience in every literal sense, so those looking for something polished and shined over are not going to find it here.
Listeners wanting a unique and genuinely competent blend of death metal, black metal, and thrash metal are encouraged to continue exploring Siege Column’s history of releases. At one point, we had featured them back on Apanthropy’s 10 2018 Releases to Jam Before the End of the Year, so, for years now, we have supported the band and will continue to do so.
Just…well…good luck finding this record…
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Band: Siege Column
-AJK
apanthropy 
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