The line between a band’s quirky aesthetic and the label of a ‘gimmick’ is an impossibly thin one, and far too many groups can become more and more dependent on their superficial appearance as their career progresses. For Nevadan group Spiritworld, the opposite criticism could be applied: for all its rip-roaring riffs and striking artwork, the band’ 2022 album ‘DEATHWESTERN’ tended to squander its Clint Eastwood-inspired look in favour of staying true to its thrash metal roots. Following that record’s success, the five-piece are back with new album ‘Helldorado,’ which seeks to diversify the band’s sound and do more justice to the endearing cowboy aesthetic— that gamble tends to pay off, though the results are more mixed than we might’ve hoped for.

Any fans that Spiritworld picked up off the back of ‘DEATHWESTERN’ should rest assured: ‘Helldorado’ is still bringing the heat, packing itself with a number of ripping death metal tracks just as menacing and exciting as any the previous record had to offer. Despite its opening, ‘Abilene Grime’ ultimately makes a promise to the listener that the band haven’t softened up on this one: if anything, the chugging rhythms and dissonant note choices have been dialled up to even greater heights. ‘No Vacancy in Heaven’ is as classic of a death metal track as you could hope for, throwing itself from its Slayer-esque intro a barrage of increasingly technical and suffocating instrumental displays. From its blazing guitar solo to its absolute barn-burner of a breakdown (reminiscent of Pantera’s ‘Domination,’ which is certainly no complaint), the track leaves no doubt that Spiritworld are still killing it in intensity and sheer impactfulness.

Similar comments could be made of lead single ‘Western Stars & The Apocalypse,’ which refuses to waste even a fraction of a second: though the track may barely break the two-minute mark, its nonetheless home to a number of groovy riffs and an anthemic hook. Admittedly, a number of these heavier tracks can blend together at points, leaving ‘Stigmata Scars’ in particular without too much of a distinct musical identity— Spiritworld aren’t the most innovative band out there, and you’d be hard pressed to pick these songs out of a lineup of cuts from ‘DEATHWESTERN.’ It really is hard to care when the songwriting is so infectious though: when the band has us screaming along to the bulldozing hooks of ‘Waiting on the Reaper’ or marvelling at the ripping vocals of ‘Oblivion,’ our criticisms seem to fade into the background.

The exhaustion the group’s relentless thrash metal can evoke is far less of an issue on the new record, thankfully, as the band are finally making good on their western aesthetic: ‘Helldorado’ delivers a number of low-key country jams peppered throughout its track list, bring an entirely new side to the Spiritworld sound. Though the songs are likely falling on deaf ears with a number of the band’s more hardcore fans, we’re nonetheless enjoying these adorable little escapades. ‘Bird Song of Death’ has a hook as catchy as any the band have produced to date in its central line “and the birds singing their song of death and blood”— Folsom even changes up his lyrical choices for these cuts, going from classic death metal imagery like “if there’s a heaven, I don’t want to know: just drown my soul in sin” to the wholesome “and when I find you again, gonna love you, babe, until the world ends” on ‘Prayer Lips,’ cementing these moments as new forays for the band.

Calling these additions ‘seamless additions to Spiritworld’s sound’ would be generous though: for as fun and bouncy as these cuts may be, their scattered placement throughout ‘Helldorado’ leaves the record feeling fairly jumbled when all is said and done. While the increased diversity after ‘DEATHWESTERN’ is greatly appreciated, we can’t help but wonder if more could’ve been done to integrate elements of country into the band’s pre-existing sound— as is, a soft interlude like ‘Cleansing’ feels like a jarring change of gears, rocking the boat more than it should. At times, Spiritworld even seem aware (or even ashamed) of this very issue, regularly selling their own country songs short. Though ‘Prayer Lips’ is, overall, a welcome addition to the track list, Folsom sounds half-asleep throughout the song, cutting things off abruptly just as things were vamping up. A similar brevity pervades closer ‘ANNIHILISM:’ if the track is meant to resemble the classic ‘ride off into the sunset,’ we’d have been happy to indulge in that mood a little longer.

All in all, ‘Helldorado’ winds up feeling like more of a stepping stone for Spiritworld than anything else. Though the album houses a number of excellent tracks and brings with it some intriguing ideas, its meagre 29-minute runtime ultimately undermines the bold statement the band were trying to make here: we can only hope that, given time, the group grows more confident in these ideas, refining them into a country-thrash fusion for the ages. We’re definitely enjoying barn-burners like ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Western Stars & The Apocalypse’— for how long, it’s hard to say.