Paying homage to their musical roots, Homicide Black conjures images of darkness, despair and salvation (not always in that order), telling epic tales with some songs while delivering a straightforward onslaught of crushing metal with others. The music is truly brought to life during the band’s blistering live performances that include tributes to the metal gods designed to engage the audience and introduce metal’s rich history to new fans as well as reacquainting it with those who have waited far too long for their music to return to the epic stature it once had. Each member is a multi-instrumentalist, allowing for a truly organic writing process which is evident in the material on the band’s self-titled debut. From the dark imagery that sets the stage for “Spirits of the Dead,” “Sinner or Saint” and “Church on the Hill” to the tragedies that unfold in “Well of Souls,” Homicide Black brings to life a new dawn of metal and the drive to bring it to the metal-starved masses.