Review; Hatriot - Heroes Of Origin

Track Listing:

1. Suicide Run
2. Weapons Of Class Destruction
3. Murder American Style
4. Blood Stained Wings
5. The Violent Time Of My Dark Passenger
6. Globicidal
7. And Your Children To Be Damned
8. The Mechanics Of Annihilation
9. Shadows Of The Buried
10. Heroes Of Origin

First thing to be said is that Thrash Metal is my all-time favourite heavy metal sub-genre. It was both my source of musical inspiration and my gateway to every following extreme metal sub-genre. You name a band; Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Overkill, Nuclear Assault, Vio-Lence, and so on; I know em, I probably love them, there's little thrash I dislike! Exodus have always been the great unsung heroes of Thrash, vastly underrated like Testament. So when I heard that former Exodus/Legacy singer Steve 'Zetro' Souza had recorded a new album with a new band, I was instantly intrigued.

Naturally, and to my relief, it was of course a Thrash Band. The instant thing that strikes me is how much the record sounds like it could've jumped right out of the mid to late eighties. Every part of the production and sound of the music screams "Bay-Area Thrash". The drums have a slightly tinny quality, the bass is distinct and prominent instead of just blending in with the guitars, the riffs are all fast-as-hell with little or no let up. The solos are blistering and would no doubt induce many a circle pit live.

It would be easy for a lot of people to see Hatriot as Steve Souza & Band, but I never find myself as a listener feeling that the record is all about the vocals, nor does it feel like an attempt to raise Zetro back to the heights of his Exodus heyday. Ultimately it comes across as an unpretentious Thrash album made for Thrash Metal fans, new and old. It captures the spirit of eighties Thrash with much more authenticity than current bands like Evile or Municipal Waste, but then; Zetro was there back in the day, so one would think that would be the case.

The album as a whole is very well-paced and typically fast. Double kick drumming is heard throughout, as is fast down-picked guitar riffs. Zetro, I'm glad to say still has the rasps and shrieks that he was known for, and he delivers his vocal lines with more viciousness than a lot of younger bands. The long scream at the end of the fifth track "The Violent Time Of My Dark Passenger" almost sent a shiver down my spine. The riff-crafting skills of guitarists Kosta Varvatakis and Miguel Esparza cannot be overstated. The intro/chorus riff of "Globicidal" is an absolutely huge stomping beast. Meanwhile, "And Your Children To Be Damned" sports a riff that shows off their speed playing. These two guitar players know how to make you bang your head!

Will this be my album of the year? Likely not, but it's brilliant to hear Thrash Metal still alive and kicking, and that more of the old guard of the genre are stepping back up to the plate. Thrash has had a great, well-documented resurgence recently, due to the likes of Testament, Megadeth, Overkill, Evile, Kreator, Destruction, Death Angel, and so on; and even though the material released will never be held in as high regard as such masterworks as "Reign In Blood", "Bonded By Blood", or "Ride The Lighning" I can only hope this continues for many years to come! Thrash isn't going anywhere, nor should it, and this record is a great example why!


Rating: 7.5/10