9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God is undoubtedly one of the most striking releases of 2026. Formed in 2021, the Polish band Hellfuck has now established itself as a major name on the local and European extreme metal scene. With just two albums released so far, the band have managed to forge their own distinct identity, deeply rooted in the old school, thanks in particular to their experienced line-up, featuring members of Embrional, Azarath and Behemoth… Their latest album was released on Godz Ov War Productions.
9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God is an album that doesn't waste any time on preliminaries. From the very first second, the assault begins. The pace is fast and violent, falling within the realm of chaotic and blasphemous thrash/speed metal. However, the Polish band demonstrates real mastery in striking a balance between heavy passages and bursts of speed. A perfect example can be found on Wonderful Stench of Death, which begins with heavy tempos before gradually picking up speed. The atmosphere is dark and gloomy, as can be clearly heard on Rebel Desecration from 2:09 onwards, with the intensity heightened by growls and demonic whispers, as well as on Holy Whore’s Prayer from 0:27 onwards.
The guitars are sharp and unleash into relentless accelerations, while retaining certain morbid melodies and sinister solos, as on Wonderful Stench of Death. The drums are powerful and imposing, with very fast, martial blast beats. The track Rebel Desecration is a perfect example of this. The vocals are shrill, malevolent and punctuated by powerful screams. They reminded me of Mille Petrozza from Kreator. The vocal performance is remarkable, in my opinion, particularly on tracks such as Master of the Decaying World and The Scourge of Existence, where the vocalist reaches some of the album’s most powerful moments.
Among the tracks and moments I particularly enjoyed was The Nuclear Final Gaze, the energy of which never faded and whose rhythm made me want to headbang. I also really enjoyed Rebel Desecration, particularly for the vocal and drum performances, but that’s not all! The lyrics also exude a misanthropic blasphemous aura: “No hope for the future / No hope for the world / No hope for the decrepit god / No hope at all” I LIKED THIS SECTION. My favourite track remains The Scourge of Existence, for its composition and structure. I particularly loved the section starting at 1:50. The Temple of Deceit Burns Bright, the album’s final track, is also one of its highlights, with a well-executed composition and an energetic rhythm that never runs out of steam.
9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God is one of the albums I’ve listened to most this year. It’s got it all: aggressive speed/thrash metal, dark atmospheres taken from black metal, and killer vocals. The Polish band Hellfuck continue to demonstrate their mastery of a musical violence deeply rooted in the old school, with a clean production and influences that come straight from German thrash metal.
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