Hour of Penance - Devotion (2024)

Five years since their last release, Hour of Penance is finally back with the pummeling “Devotion”. Showcasing their mixture of Brutal and Technical Death Metal, this band is ready to wail at the listener with ten tracks and nearly forty minutes of intensity. Far from disappointing, this release sets a new bar in terms of brutality and execution for 2024.

The release kicks off with the brutal “Devotion For Tyranny”, a track that packs powerful punches in the shape of pummeling drums and crushing riffs. Like a bag of bricks to the face, the opener alongside “Parasitic Chain of Command”, “Birthright Abolished”, and “Retaliate” quickly dominate the listener with their sinister vibes and crushing instrumentation. The band has refined the art of being brutal and incisive as these songs clearly show.

By the time we reach the middle of this release with bangers like “Breathe the Dust of their Dead” and “The Morality of Warfare”, our neck is already sore thanks to the furious pace and the band’s no mercy policy with their punishing onslaughts. We commend the band for not having any Core-ish elements seep into their sound, and keeping things brutal, to the point, and quite incisive, as “The Ravenous Heralds” shows.

The release closes with the same intensity as it opened, with “Spiraling Into Decline” making a case for Hour of Penance being one of the most brutal bands in Metal. Weaving brutality, technical proficiency, and perfect execution, “Devotion” is one of those crushing releases that will overwhelm your senses and will take more than a few spins to fully digest. If you are ready to have your ears and soul pounded by brutality, make sure to check out this excellent release.

Label: Agonia Records

Release: April 5th, 2024

Genre: Technical/Brutal Death Metal

Country: Italy