Release Date: May 01st 2026. Record Label: The Grind-House Records. Formats: DD
I HAIL I - Tracklisting
1.Emperor of Dis
2.I HAIL I
3.Enthroned in Violence
4.Fucked Inside Out
5.Deepest Hell
6.Saturnus Reign
7.Prowler Twin Sister
8.Family Tree
9.Vulture Worship
10.Tartarus Apocalypse
Members
Steven Rathbone - Guitar, Vocals, Synth
Chris Wozniak - Drums
Sanford Parker - Bass
Review
I-HAIL-I marks the triumphant return of Thrash/Sludge Metal heavyweights Lair Of The Minotaur with this being their first album in sixteen years and they’ve lost none of their fucked up aggression which was captured perfectly with their landmark 2010 album Evil Power. Nothing much has changed with how the band playing their classic trademark and pissed off HEAVY METAL sound. Lair Of The Minotaur have added metal legend Sanford Parker joining their ranks on bass. Sanford also recorded and mixed the album which you can tell from the very start after all the amazing albums and records he’s been involved with over the years.
This record is pure CARNAGE from start to finish with Lair Of The Minotaur perfecting their highly aggressive blend and fast paced Thrash and Sludge Metal which also adds strands of Grind, Doom, Psych, Punk and Speed Metal. The mood is quite nihilistic with a dark sludgy environment which is laid down with a dominating HARDCORE METALLIC ferocity which comes across brilliantly well on tracks such as Emperor Of Dis, I-HAIL-I and Enthroned In Violence.
There are some great influences which you can’t help but notice from bands such as MOTORHEAD, HIGH ON FIRE, SLAYER and METALLICA but Lair Of The Minotaur always manage to create their own menacing blend of extreme magic which relies heavily on the extreme side of heavy metal. The band love to GRIND, GRIND and GRIND some more on the whole album which results in some brilliantly heavy THRASH based madness with superb vocals to match.
I HAIL I only lasts around thirty minutes spread across ten great tracks with the majority of them only running under a few minutes or so. Lair Of The Minotaur comes flying out of the gate with this perhaps being their most direct, extreme, aggressive and riff-fuelled record to date.
The album thrives on perfecting it’s “PULL NO PUNCHES” and “TAKE NO PRISONERS” approach on other tracks such as Fucked Inside Out, Deepest Hell and Prowler Twin Sister. These tracks are the pure embodiment of Extreme Doom/Sludge Metal with Lair Of The Minotaur allowing themselves to move themselves closer to a more straightforward riff-driven style of music.
There’s even a great surprise with the band performing a cover of Alt Rock/Indie Rock artist Ethel Cain’s stunning track “Family Tree”. This is one of the best tracks on the album as it’s so left-field for Lair Of The Minotaur to choose to cover. Their version of the song is vastly different with the band keeping with the Doom, Sludge and Thrash Metal narrative of the whole album though it pays great respect to the original version which I recommend you comparing them against each other when you have the time. Lair Of The Minotaur does start showing a Post-Thrash and Post-Sludge environment within Family Tree and I would love to see them explore that style more often on future releases if possible.
The final track Tartarus Apocalypse is the longest track on the album running for almost eight minutes which allows the band to stretch their musical boundaries by adding a slight Progressive edge to their music. The sound is grounded, bombastic and even psychedelic charged at times with Lair Of The Minotaur exploring different creative avenues whilst bringing a thunderous and destructive appetite to the actual musical journey.
I HAIL I could be considered a "comeback" album for Lair Of The Minotaur and it’s a major success on every level. The record is extremely brutal and is never afraid to explore a more violent and extreme sound which the band have always delivered throughout their celebrated career. However, there’s more to discover with I HAIL I with Lair Of The Minotaur delivering an epic album that’s packed full of intense grooves and wicked melodies that could easily be classed as some of the best music of their entire career.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.
I HAIL I is available to buy now digitally via The Grind-House Records with physical formats being released at a later date.
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