Release Date September 18th, 2026
Format LP/CD/MC/Digital
Genre Metallic Hardcore
Origin Netherlands
Trenchwar is a Dutch band formed by musicians with long histories across the metal and hardcore underground, with current and former members connected to Backfire, Born From Pain, Cliteater, Herder, No Turning Back, Reaching Forward and Modern Life Is War. Their first release, “Seismic Upheaval”, appeared as a six song demo, originally issued in 2019 and later reissued in 2024. “Overlords Of Cold” marks their first full length release, expanding the approach introduced on that earlier material into ten tracks of heavy hardcore with metallic and sludge influences. The lineup features Ché Snelting on vocals, Harm Haverman and Ivan Cuijpers on guitars, Giel Blankers on bass and vocals, and Pieter Hendriks on drums. The album arrives through Italian label Time To Kill Records, placing Trenchwar within a wider European heavy music circuit.
“Overlords Of Cold” moves between fast hardcore attacks, slower sludge sections and mid paced metallic grooves, with the Dutch scene influence meeting sounds associated with ’90s hardcore, New Orleans sludge and groove driven metal. The faster material is built on aggressive guitar work, forceful drumming and harsh vocals, while the slower songs sink into bleak, dragging riffs with a strong sense of heaviness. Sepultura and Biohazard can be heard in the groove oriented sections, while Integrity, Cold As Life and Merauder provide a useful frame for the hardcore side of the album.
The production by Ronnie Kessels at Overdose Audio Studio in Helden gives the guitars a heavy presence and lets the rhythm section remain prominent. Brad Boatright handled the mastering at Audiosiege Mastering, adding further punch to the finished sound. The lyrics and album title were developed with dark artist Ruben Aldenhoven, whose artwork also establishes the bleak visual side of the release. At around forty minutes, “Overlords Of Cold” has enough variation to avoid becoming one long blur of similar riffs, although some sections lean heavily on established hardcore and sludge formulas. The slower material can become repetitive, while the faster cuts have more immediate impact. Trenchwar aims for a severe combination of hardcore aggression, metallic riffing and sludge atmosphere, and “Overlords Of Cold” presents that mixture with few concessions.
|7.5
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