Starting off the new decade with a bang, Calgary, Canada’s own thrash metal band Hazzerd is anticipating the release of their second full-length studio record entitled, ‘Delirium‘ via M-Theory Audio on January 24th, 2020.
It’s no surprise that heavy metal and rock and roll have fallen out of the eyes of the mainstream music industry; especially thrash metal. The rock and roll bands coming into mainstream popularity are often mirrored after 1970’s classic rock. Up and coming bands like Dirty Honey, Greta Van Fleet, and more (although extremely talented) are often not revered for their ‘heaviness’ but for their throwback sound and vision to groups along the likes of Led Zeppelin. But bands like Hazzerd are taking metal back and are bringing head-banging out of the dark one thrash at a time.
The heavy metal band has taken the baton from classic 1980’s thrashers along the likes of Overkill, Exciter, Testament, Megadeth, and Exodus and run with it — giving us a modern day twist on the authoritative thrash sound that heavy metal fans have spent the last three decades worshipping.
‘Delirium‘ does the above, starting with the title track “Sacrifice Them (In the Name of God)“. The record starts out with a contemporary tapping riff, which then fades into a hefty power chord fueled intro, riddled with a myriad of lead and drum fills that give you the impression that this is going to be a kickass track — and more importantly a kickass record. About a minute in, the tempo changes and the Bobby Blitz / Dave Mustaine / modern mix evocative vocals come into play that really give this track the nostalgic feel of classic thrash. In “Sacrifice Them (In the Name of God)“, the seamless fluctuation between tempos is a trait that is seen heavily throughout Hazzerd‘s catalog thus far; specifically ‘Delirium‘ and shows the immense amount of musicianship present within each and every Hazzerd member.
A nice ‘thrash throwback’ that Hazzerd includes in their tracks (whether they’re purposeful or not) are their gang vocals/background chants. You can see this on tracks like “Dead in the Shed” and “Illuminated Truth“. This chant effect on lyrics like “WE BURNED AWAY!” is incredibly reminiscent of songs like Exodus‘ “The Toxic Waltz” or “Bonded By Blood“. I’m also really pleased with the fact that although these tracks contain these familiar chants, the entire record isn’t littered with them for the sake of having them.
A surprising touch that Hazzerd threw into this record were the two instrumental tracks, “Call of the Void” and “The End“, which both showed concrete guitar work and artistry from Toryin Scadlich and, with all honestly, the entirety of the band. The engrossing subtleness of these tunes is quite critical. It allows you to process the record almost as a story, taking you out of the heaviness and vocal centric themes in tracks like “A Tormented Reality” or “Victim of a Desperate Mind” for a moment. Overall, I think these additions give the record an extra dose of fluidity that some heavy metal/thrash groups don’t have. These extra nuances without a doubt make Hazzerd stand out in our modern day metal world.
If you haven’t heard of Hazzerd yet, you’ll definitely be hearing their name after the release of ‘Delirium‘. If you’ve had a hankering for a dose of old school thrash with a modern turn, this is the record for you.
You can preorder Hazzerd‘s new record ‘Delirium’ HERE!
Stay up to date on Hazzerd by liking their Facebook page HERE as well.
HIGHLIGHTS: “Sacrifice Them (In the Name of God)” , “Call of the Void” , “Waking Nightmare , “Illuminated Truth” , “Victim of a Desperate Mind“
RATING: 4.5/5.
TRACK LISTING
1. Sacrifice Them (In the Name of God)
2. A Tormented Reality
3. Sanctuary For The Mad
4. Victim of a Desperate Mind
5. Call of the Void
6. Dead in the Shed
7. Illuminated Truth
8. Waking Nightmare
9. The Decline
10. The End
HAZZERD IS
Dylan Westendorp / Drums, Vocals
Brenden Malycky / Rhythm Guitar
Toryin Schadlich / Lead Guitar
David Sprague / Bass
Metal From The Inside 