If there is anything that has come out of 2023 that I was not expecting, the quality of its heavy metal is certainly towards the top of the list of surprises that caught me off-guard the most. We’ve seen a ton of standout releases come out over these past months that have done the genre immense justice with more than a few coming out recently to really ensure that the year is closing out on a tremendous collection of performances. Here, just the other day I was halfway convinced that Satan’s Fall was going to put out the last noteworthy heavy metal album of the year that was going to come my way, but it was just the next day that I heard tell of a fresh act doing great things as well. Little did I know the splendor Helms Deep had in store for me.

It’s out of the very gate that Helms Deep sought to make sure that you know you’re not in for an experience that seeks to do anything other than what we’ve all come to revere and look back upon fondly. There’s no frills or nonsense in the goal of this debut as Helms Deep takes every given opportunity to bring forward heavy metal pulled straight from the golden age of the sound with more than enough romp and talent to keep the listener absolutely rooted in place for the entirety of the record. Nothing about “Treacherous Ways” feels disingenuous to its original influences. More than enough riffs and melodies to captivate those looking for straightforward metal while there’s tons of attitude and personality to be had in each of these tracks, Helms Deep clearly knew what they were doing in the making of this album! Magnificently paced but still more than capable of blinding speed and immense glory be it through bloodshed or awe-inspiring beauty, these eleven tracks have far more than what I think many of us would expect from a debut from any band. We couldn’t have asked for a more wildly splendorous debut than “Treacherous Ways” as it blasts expectations right out of the water and shoves the competition right to the side as it’s not just through musical and technical prowess that they succeed, but a clear and unfettered passion for the genre that many would dare foolishly claim has left the scene decades ago.

You could time travel, put this record on the shelves of many a record store in the 80s, and, apart from possibly the production quality, you wouldn’t be able to tell that anything was amiss from many of the other spectacular works of the genre coming out at the time. “Treacherous Ways” starts Helms Deep off on the best possible foot as the future is truly theirs for the taking with all that they’ve achieved in this record nothing short of staggering! The future of heavy metal is in truly capable and passionate hands, and with acts like Helms Deep among itself disciples, how can we worry about the security and quality of all that is still to come?

LISTEN to “Treacherous Ways” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Helms Deep on Facebook here.