Artist: Raped God 666
Country: Mexico
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital
Year: 2026
Despite the fact that Raped God 666 released two splits (in 2012 and 2021 respectively), this Mexican old-school Thrash Metal band had completely slipped off my radar. In the 2000s, the band were a regular presence on the scene and, alongside bands such as Envenomed, Strike Master, Profanator and Black Torment, formed a fresh, young generation of Mexican Thrash Metal bands who were clearly inspired by the legends of the 1980s. Labels such as Iron Bonehead Productions and Anger Of Metal Records also played a key role; during those years, they focused on these genres, thereby providing such bands with a platform and a stage to promote their music. The music hasn’t died out, but in the years that followed, attention shifted more towards old-school Death Metal or various styles of Black Metal. Nevertheless, it’s good to see that most of those bands from back then are still active. The ultimate proof of this is ‘Addicted To Satan’, the fourth Raped God 666 album, which was recently released.
To begin with, it must be noted that most of Raped God 666’s back catalogue has been released by smaller and often local labels. The exception is the 2009 album ‘Executioner’, for which the aforementioned Iron Bonehead Productions was partly responsible. It is therefore a perfectly valid argument that Raped God 666 has always been a well-kept underground secret, but the fact that the band is now left to its own devices and has to release this third album independently is nonetheless surprising.
Especially when you consider the quality of the material on offer. Although, almost inevitably, we hear nothing that sounds in the slightest bit original or provocative, it is clear that the musicians in question are no novices and are audibly enjoying what they’re doing. In just under 40 minutes, we’re treated to a style of Thrash Metal that strikes a delicate balance between the proto-Black/Thrash of the 1980s European scene and the much tighter-played style of Thrash Metal from the US. The compositions are well-crafted and offer enough variety to keep the listener captivated throughout the album’s running time, with the riff-heavy nature of the tracks standing out in particular. With a fast tempo and sharp, aggressive vocals, the album’s intensity never wanes. This blend of elements means that Raped God 666 can just as easily be classified as a Black/Thrash Metal band or a Death/Thrash Metal band. Take a track like ‘Hammer Of Pestilence’, in which the impressive bass guitar playing deserves a special mention; here, the band really put their foot down and skilfully string together Black Metal-oriented riffs, whilst at the same time, and certainly in the second half of the track, it also possesses a chopping Death Metal character.
Finally, the excellent, heavy production certainly deserves a mention. Many bands of this sort from those bygone 00s relied heavily on a charmingly chaotic sound; that is absolutely no longer the case here. ‘Addicted To Satan’ can best be described as a mix of late-80s Kreator, Defleshed, Vomitory and Deströyer 666. This may seem like a somewhat odd combination at first, but I’d say: just give it a listen and judge for yourself. It’s all tighter and better played than before, but the unpretentious approach has remained unchanged, which is quite an achievement in 2026. In other words: great band, great album!
