Blitzkid Modern Hel Review
Blitzkid
Modern Hel
A Corpse With No Name
2026
Disclaimer - While this review could be seen as biased, the bulk of it isn’t. I’m calling it like I see it because my love and admiration for this band goes deeper than high fives and a long-lasting brotherhood/friendship. I’m not special, I haven’t been treated as such, and I haven’t been privy to anything the rest of you aren’t. I purchased my copy just like everyone else. These guys have earned it. And I've busted their chops on several occasions because I'm a messenger of trouble and truth at every turn. With that said, let’s dig in, creeps…
West By God Virginia’s answer to all things Horrorpunk and, in my opinion, the legitimate flagship of the genre, Blitzkid, have returned with their first full-length album in 16 years. This long slayer is entitled “Modern Hel”, and while I’m not certain of the meaning behind the title, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that there’s a whole new collection of songs here for the fans to sink their fangs into.
While the band reunited a few years back and released an EP, this full-length has been a long time coming, and honestly, it’s something I thought we’d never get to hear. Not because there was some ugly break or the love was gone - that never happened. As someone who felt close to the band, it just seemed like it was over. Unfortunately, all good things must end. That’s life.
But as we all know it didn’t last long. The only thing that matters now is that the real LEGION OF DOOM - TB Monstrosity and Argyle Goolsby - put it back together. And somewhere along the way, they seem to have finally landed a drummer who not only has the chops, but the drive and love for the band that was always missing. No disrespect to the guys who’ve drummed for Blitzkid, but truth is truth.
Moving into “Modern Hel”, let me be the first to say this: if you’re banking on the streaming sites and MP3s being good enough, they’re not. Not even close.
The sound quality just isn’t there. Streaming is compressed to hell and back, and with a band like Blitzkid - a band that builds so much of its identity around vocal harmonies, gang vocals, layers and texture - that space and fullness gets strangled.
I experienced this firsthand with the promo release of the album. Sure, I loved what I was hearing, but the depth just wasn’t there, and it bummed me the hell out. I honestly thought I might be disappointed in the album, so I held off writing the review and sat with it.
Then today, my record showed up.
I busted it open, dropped the needle and gobbled it up like a fiend.
That’s when the magic happened.
The vinyl doesn’t compress the life out of this thing. There’s no digital smear, no interruption, no weirdness creeping into the sound. Everything I was hoping this album would and could be was suddenly there, right in front of me, spinning under that needle.
I gave it two spins on the turntable and then loaded the CD into my Hi-Fi player, because I’m a snob, and here we are.
So, let’s get to the meat and potatoes.
If you’re a fan of the Blitzkid that gave us “Five Cellars Below” and “Apparitional”, then you’ve come to the right place. A bountiful feast has been prepared for all of us monster babies, and tonight, and for the rest of our lives, we shall continue to feast upon this corpse.
The production falls somewhere between those aforementioned albums. I feel like “Five Cellars Below” is where everything really clicked for the band, where the songwriting and arrangements started taking a shape all their own. That approach is still here, but the musicianship, songwriting and arrangements have grown considerably stronger.
Rhythmically, this is Blitzkid’s strongest effort yet, and the addition of Ryan Manning on drums is a huge part of that. Ryan breathes fire into every track on this album. His precision and tone is second to none, and that gives Gools the room to lay down some of his best bass work yet.
Together, Ryan and Gools make one hell of a rhythm section. You can hear the camaraderie between them. They aren’t just keeping the pocket clean; they’re capable of moving that pocket all over the fucking place at the speed of light.
Sometimes that kind of speed gets sloppy. It’s happened in the Blitzkid world before.
Not here.
No sir. These dudes are on it.
Now we move on to the riff master, TB Monstrosity.
This dude is one of the finest gittwangers in the Horror scene, and he gets little to no credit, props or pageantry for it. That’s just fucking ridiculous. The man comes armed with riffs by the pound, and he’s always ready to throw down a blistering lead break when the moment calls for it.
This isn’t paint-by-numbers guitar playing. Not even close.
There are melodic riffs all over this thing - riffs where you can hum the melody without ever hearing a word. Again, that’s something you don’t hear nearly enough in Horrorpunk. TB understands that a great riff can carry a song just as easily as a great chorus, and there are plenty of both here. He really leaned in on this album, it shows.
Vocally, Gools and TB trade shots back and forth between songs, within songs and everywhere in between. To me, there’s no better tandem of vocalists in the Horror scene. These guys sing together like they came out of the womb doing it.
It’s infectious.
The background and gang vocals are arranged in such a way that whoever is handling the lead comes out sounding even better. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s writing, preparation and forward thinking before anyone ever hits the record button.
Lyrically, the Horror aesthetic is ever present, as it should be. That’s a must when it comes to Blitzkid. Some of it is obvious – “Toxic Avenger” and “Cujo”, but it’s the sneakier songs that hit me the hardest. The ones where the Horror imagery starts creeping into real life.
Because let’s face it: nothing is scarier than living on this rock and having to deal with the daily grind.
TB’s “Beast Or Man” hits with the force of 100 jackhammers lyrically. I get misty-eyed every time that chorus hits because I feel that shit deep in my soul, he reached right in and took the words right out of my mouth. “Demonica” hits us with that slow, grinding, almost ballad-like vibe, and the lyrics are downright haunting and creepy. Gools was in his bag here, say what you will but this guy has a serious knack for writing creepy tunes.
“Warning Shadows”, the lead single, gives me the feels. The mind is tender, and sometimes life will trick you if you’re not paying attention. “Bloodlines” is another TB classic that scratches every Horror itch you could possibly have and plus, the man has one of the greatest voices in music, I’ll fight anyone over that comment too.
With every Blitzkid release, I always look for the “Nosferatu” tune, that classic that’s going to get called back for encore after encore, year after year. For me, that song opens the album up in the first place: “The Thirteenth Guest”.
What a way to kick the door in.
The boys trade vocals back and forth, and they come out of the darkness with ill intent. No hesitation. No warning. They storm out of the gate looking to tear you limb from limb, and by the time you realize what’s happening, there’s blood everywhere…
There’s roughly 42 minutes of music here, 13 tracks, and somehow, it still isn’t enough.
Blitzkid always leaves me wanting more.
The fellas are about to hit the road on a 60-date U.S. tour, and they’ll have this album waiting for you at the merch table. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, hit that table as soon as you walk through the venue doors.
I’d recommend buying the album now. The vinyl edition comes with the CD as well, so it’s a win-win.
And if you’re one of those folks who leans heavily on streaming to get your kicks, I’m begging you to rethink that one. “Modern Hel” deserves better than being squeezed through a digital straw.