Barbarian – Reek of God
Release Date: 23rd January 2026
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 80s Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Punk Metal, Black Metal.
FFO: Celtic Frost, NWOBHM, Cloak, Hellripper, Motorhead, Bathory, Napalm Death.
Review By: Rick Farley
Italy’s blackened heavy metal veterans Barbarian have released album number six, Reek of God, via Dying Victims Productions. Highly anticipated, these metal maniacs sling dirt filled crudeness into the shell of heavy metal riffs, coarse, shouty vocals and a balls to the wall, no fucks given attitude. Pounding drums, and punky/heavy metal thrashes about at a wicked pace with the sole intent to snap your bones. It’s as if members of Celtic Frost, Motörhead and Manowar formed a thrash metal band and then fought each other. If you’re expecting classy, atmospheric songs and progressive virtuosity filled with sappiness and heart, you’re in for a rude awakening. This is knuckle dragging, riff forward fun, that flirts with being an axe wielding deranged lunatic and/or just your weird next door neighbor who dresses like an orc on the weekends and playfights other sickos at the nearest park. Swords held tightly, fist raised high, let’s fucking rock.
Barbarian have been around for quite some time, and from day one they have been dedicated to being heavy metal torch-bearers. All about violent good times and headbanging, these three dudes slay posers on the regular. Tons of gruff personality, mixed with aggressive riffs and smashing drums, if you even remotely like old school anything concerning genres, you’ll probably have a good fucking time with this record.
Coming in at a crisp, blood pumping 33 minutes, Reek of God is nearly a perfect length for what this record is best suited for. Destroying your living room with multiple fits of moshing, fist throwing and severe neck wrecking headbangs. If you or your buddies lose teeth, hair or possibly break a limb or two while doing so, then so be it, this is heavy fucking metal. Pussies.
Reek of God kicks off with a warning to the listener titled Warning about being offended by religious takes on the album and “spitting on your god,” not going to lie, it’s a little cringy but hey I suppose it goes with the territory.
Anyways track two Maxima Culpa is a groovy, crunchy, terroristic assault that shreds nerves. Heavy and low ended, the guitars riffs go for the juggler like some old school Bay Area thrash metal. Plenty of blistering solos, NWOBHM melodies and reckless drums, this track is the perfect actual start to the record.
Sledgehammer has a forceful, driving bassline with a stuttering guitar riff and drums that has an undeniable old school punk metal feel to it. Eighth Sacrament with its chuggy thrash riffs has a swaggering groove while Shit He Forgives sears with tremolo picked blackness and a menacing demeanour. From top to bottom Reek of God is on full blast attack mode with its heavy metal heart clearly set in the eighties and to some degree early nineties. While the record is an amalgamation of genres, the one thing that remains is the spirit in which it’s presented. It’s cleverly written and fully cohesive aimed at the sole destruction of the listeners ears and bones.
This is a highly contagious, fun record that sounds great and never wears out its welcome. Give this a spin and just have a fucking blast, flailing limbs and all. That’s exactly what it’s for.
(3.5 / 5)
