On Fowl of Tyrant Wing

With On Fowl of Tyrant Wing, Belgium's Bütcher is three full-lengths into their career of dishing out metallic mayhem. This new one is in the same vein as their last, 2020's 666 Goats Carry My Chariot, that being old school speed metal with lots of nods to the golden days of the '80s. There is a good amount of traditional metal riffing, often ramped up to thrash velocity, and the vocals remain a source of individuality for Bütcher, combining elements of Exciter's Dan Beehler, Cirith Ungol's Tim Baker and even some King Diamond's memorable wail. I feel like the songwriting isn't quite as engaging as their last album, but the performances are top-notch, which, along with the vocals are sure to keep Bütcher in the conversation when the leading names of black/thrash/speed metal are discussed.