Sound-wise, Vengeance finds Glamour of the Kill in a heavier mood than ever. Gone are the up-beat synths and flashier elements that the band added to Savages and After Hours - with metallic riffing back in a big way. The material here is closer in tone to the debut EP and The Summoning, but it stands alone sound-wise in my opinion - with a much thrashier overall feel and less of an emphasis on anthemic choruses. That is not to say that the album is not hooky nor melodic, as it is, but it feels like a much more mature and considered release - with little of the band's poppier side which had always been there and a much larger dose of true metal. The short instrumental First Breath of the Reaper kicks things off, and it sets the darker tone which largely permeates this release. Sombre piano melodies form the basis of the track, before crunching power chords are added - as Thomson lays down a marching drum beat. This vibe continues on for a minute or so, but the riffing gets more involved and heavier - whilst gothic strings add depth. The song acts essentially acts as an extended intro for The Forgotten, the first song proper, which opens with some percussive riffing and drumming - before Richmond shouts the song's title and the first thrashy riff kicks things off. The riffing style here is still very much inspired by the 1980s metal scene, but the guitar tones are tougher. Richmond's vocals still have that pop edge to add some melody, but even his delivery feels a bit tougher at times - and the occasional harsh gang vocals from rest of the band which used to be a part of the band's sound are also brought back. Parts of the fast-paced verses see Richmond backed by these growls - whilst Kingswood and Brookes riff away and Thomson lays into his double bass drums. The song is like the heaviest moments from The Summoning, only heavier and darker - but the overall vocal melodies and riffing patterns are instantly recognisable as by Glamour of the Kill. Those trademark melodies are present here, despite the darker tones, and the synths from the last couple of releases have instead been replaced by gothic strings. There is an epic feel to much of this album as a result - but there are still plenty of hooks, as the slower chorus, which feels somewhat poppier, showcases. The chorus is very easy on the ear, showing that Richmond still has a knack for a hooky delivery, whilst the song's lengthier overall arrangement allows for riffs to be lingered on a little longer - as well more diversity in terms of bridge-type moments. Lead single Grace of God follows, and looking back it was easy to see why it was chosen to kick off this new era. It is very representative of the album as a whole - whilst containing enough of the past to hook in long-time fans. Like the previous song, Grace of God is pretty thrashy overall - but the buzzing riffing is not too far away from the band's old sound. There is enough of that old-school metalcore sound here to please long-time fans - with Richmond's accessible vocals hooky as always, whilst those occasional harsh vocals once again act like punctation during the verses. Something that is a bit different here is the introduction of Kingswood as a supporting vocalist. He was always partially responsible for the growls, but he sings clean occasionally throughout this album - and he takes over for the pre-choruses here with his grittier vocal style. Richmond returns for the big chorus, which is pretty anthemic, and the contrast between the two vocal styles works well. It is certainly a chorus made for the stage - and the whole song just feels hooky, from the riffing through to the vocals. Multiple guitar solos are thrown in here, too, showcasing Kingswood's talents as a player - with shredded passages very much fitting in with the song's furious overall nature.
The album's title track follows, and it opens with a strong wordless vocal hook which resurfaces quite often throughout the song. As such, this song feels like another written deliberately to be more anthemic. There are shades of the old days here, then, but there is also a groovier overall approach taken - with the pace somewhat slowed at times. Parts of the verses are fast-paced, as has been the case so far on this album, but there are a lot more mid-paced moments to allow for some bigger, more pronounced guitar riffing - with the second half of each verse in particular benefitting from this pace change as Richmond's vocals and some choice harmonies really shine. The chorus is simple, as it is largely the wordless hooks from the song's opening repurposed around a couple of lyrics - but it is memorable as a result. It is another that I can see going down well live, as a crowd really latches into the hooks, and the good mix of faster and mid-paced moments would allow for a dynamic addition to the set. A harsh vocal-led bridge and another shredded solo finish things off nicely. Another single in the form of Feed Them to the Pigs in next, and the shorter number is the first here to rein in the thrashy vibes fully and go for a mid-paced approach throughout. The album's intro aside, it is the only song here under four minutes long. The band have generally stretched out here, writing longer songs, but this one is a bit more contained - with chugging, headbanging riffing complete with accenting pinch harmonics the song's main draw, whilst clean guitar-led verses allows Richmond's sneering vocals to really shine. Given that the song was another single, it is unsurprising that it is another hooky one. The main riffing and groove really gets stuck in the brain, whilst the chorus is maybe the poppiest on the album thanks to some interesting vocal melodies and its eventual shout-along core melody. The arrangement is much simpler than that of most of the other songs, then, but the song is satisfying thanks to its hooks. Diseased goes for a much more dynamic approach overall - mixing slower, ballad-like moments with heavier sections. Many of the songs here take a few listens to fully appreciate, and I feel that this song has only really opened up to me as a I write this. The opening guitar melody is busy and almost progressive metal in tone, whilst the slow-burning verses mix clean guitar and snarling vocals to create an emotive tone. Strange spoken word moments and occasional harsh vocals add heaviness - but the chorus injects some weight back in with fast double bass drumming sat under slow chord changes to create quite an epic sound as Richmond sings. All the different sections add up nicely, though, and the song is another strong addition to the album. Delirium changes things up quite a bit, insofar as it features Kingswood on vocals throughout. He has featured here and there throughout the album, but this is his first effort as a lead vocalist proper - and his breathy, slightly gritty delivery works well given the expansive and slow-burning overall sound that the song puts forward. He reminds me of someone else vocally, but I am struggling to pin-point exactly who annoyingly, but as traditionally a non-singer he delivers here - with a varied performance that mixes an emotional clean delivery with the occasional growled section. Richmond adds harmonies when needed, but this is Kingswood's showcase - and he particularly shines during the slow-burning verses with their mournful clean guitar melodies and sombre drumming. The heavier chorus sees him letting rip a bit more, but I think this song works at its best when it is more mournful - even if the choruses are still strong. The song is something different for the band overall - but it works well as a change of pace without sounding especially out of place.
Rampage gets back to something more typical of the rest of the album, unsurprisingly given its name, delivering more of the thrashy sound which characterises much of the album. The song is fast and furious from the off then, with snappy riffing and urgent vocals - with less of the dynamic approach which characterised the last couple of songs. In fact, this song seems to hark back to the sound of The Summoning quite a bit - despite feeling heavier overall. The chorus, with its easy-on-the-ear hooks and wordless vocal melodies certainly channels the overall vibe of that album - meaning that it is a song which grabs hold early. There are more interesting pieces here, especially as I like how the band has evolved their sound for the most part, but for a simpler throwback to the old days I feel like Rampage is a fun addition to the album. Aeternum Immortalis keeps the pace up, but injects back in some of the gothic elements which have been heard throughout the rest of the album. The song opens slowly, then, with gothic strings and choirs, which return occasionally during the later chorus, but much of this song is another hard-driving thrashy number - with razor-sharp verses and snappy vocals from Richmond. Like many of the songs here, though, the arrangement feels a bit more involved - so there is a dynamic approach once again. The verses are fast-paced and heavy, but the chorus is much slower to allow for a somewhat anthemic approach. It is not a chorus as hooky as some here, but it gets the job done - and the gothic strings add some depth. A bridge backed by a gothic choir later feels a bit different - but it soon transitions into a big, shredded guitar solo where Kingswood really lets rip. Some gothic vibes remain throughout Suffer - with the tolling of a bell kicking things off, before a buzzing, fast-paced riff kicks in. This thrashy riff is another candidate for the album's fasted and most furious - but a slow-burning guitar lead which sits atop it does perhaps limit its power somewhat. Despite the speed of this opening riff, though, much of the rest of the song is more mid-paced and groovy. The verses here feel quite typical of the band's past work, with Richmond's vocals in particular turning the clock back, his poppy snarl sounding as good as ever. There are bursts of speed, and the song does feel quite urgent at times despite some more mid-paced sections sitting between the outbursts of riffing, but compared to many of the other songs here Suffer is perhaps one of the least interesting in terms of hooks and arrangement. The album then comes to a close with Broken Halo, which opens slowly with some clean guitar melodies and percussive drumming. This initial murk sets a dark tone, but once the song gets going proper it feels heavier overall - with a strange fast-feeling, yet ultimately mid-paced, riff and verse section which sees Richmond singing in a hooky manner whilst harsh gang vocals add punctation. Overall, this song actually feels quite different to anything else here. It feels quite epic, but in a different manner to the band's usual hooky approach - and there are shades of mid-1990s Metallica here at times, with the grinding chorus feel like something Metallica would have included in one of their bluesier mid-1990s pieces. The chorus remains hooky, though, but more for its grooves overall - and I like how the last chorus goes through an unexpected key change. Despite the differences, I think the song ends the album well - with the snaking approach and different melodies all coming together well to bring the album to a close. The two singles from the Resurrection era aside, Vengeance represents the band's first release in 12 years - and overall it feels like a big success. There are a lot of memorable songs here, and I like how the band have evolved their sound without losing too much of what made them great in the first place and dropping some elements which perhaps they never needed to introduce. It is great to have Glamour of the Kill back properly this time - and I looking forward to hearing some of these songs live on the upcoming tour.
The self-released album was released on 22nd January 2026. Below is the band's promotional video for Grace of God.
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