When I first came across the EP titled Penis Metal a few years ago, my immediate thought was, “What the hell is this?!” It certainly piqued my curiosity. But not long after, Hades Archer became one of my absolute favorite bands in the South American underground black/death metal scene. Their unholy chaos and perverse energy (especially with their infamous secret cover of Sodom’s Equinox) introduced them as demons worthy of attention. So when they unleashed their debut full-length For The Diabolical Ages, I wasn’t surprised by how excellent it turned out.
Unlike many bands whose debut albums fail to capture the raw spirit of their earlier demos or EPs, Hades Archer did the exact opposite—they amplified everything. The album pushes more into black/thrash metal territory compared to the EP, yet still maintains plenty of death metal aggression in key sections. Aside from the apocalyptic atmosphere of Into the Black Mass, the rest of the album is sheer sonic destruction—an unrelenting assault on anything sacred, from the first note to the last.
The vocals are soaked in reverb, sounding like distorted howls echoing from the abyss. The riffing is fast, filthy, and violent—pure thrashing chaos. But it’s not mindless aggression: the solos are well-composed and woven tightly into the tracks, helping to build a sinister and electrifying atmosphere. The album artwork matches the themes of blasphemy and perversion perfectly, hinting at the sonic violence within.
My personal favorite is Sodoma Eden—a devastating, full-on war anthem that leaves nothing standing. Ways of Bestiality takes a surprising turn with an eerie, tempo-shifting passage that feels like being swallowed into a void. And Daughter of Perversion dives deeper into chaos, a dissonant beast drenched in South American necro filth. The production style is raw, reverberating, and oppressive—exactly what satanic thrash-black metal should sound like.
If you crave the spirit of Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions, or worship the South American cult gods like Sarcofago, Sextrash, and Mutilator, this album is mandatory. Absolutely recommended. (Side note: There must be something truly unholy in the water of Santiago…)