Kommandant
Stormlegion Reissue
Higher Power/MVD Audio
Street: 10.01
Kommandant = Conqueror + Sodom + Angelcorpse
Reviewing a re-issue always seems a bit odd no matter how old the release may be, kind of feeling like treading on an already commented territory. Chicago black metal outfit Kommandant’s debut full-length, released in 2008, was actually reissued previously in 2011, limited to 300 copies and on tape. The re-issue here is straight up—no bonus tracks and has all original art—basically a good way to snag an album that got a limited release previously. The tunes are black metal blazers with tinges of war metal themes, ditching the atmospheric and going for the blast-beat-ridden jugular. Chicago’s metal scene is owning a lot of genres right now, and this serves as a pick-it-up-if-you-didn’t-have-it-already release. –Bryer Wharton