Pledge Allegiance to Thrash

Northern California has often been cited as a thrash breeding ground, having been the home of numerous influential speed metal acts. More recently, it is also the home to the relatively new band Hatriot, who just dropped their debut album entitled Heroes Of Origin. Though the band is still quite young, longtime fans of thrash metal are likely to remember the voice behind this band, a gentleman by the name of Steve “Zetro” Souza, who is famous for providing vocals in popular releases by Exodus, Legacy, and Testament. With Heroes Of Origin, Hatriot vindicates thrash metal as alive and well.

The album features several different elements that are likely to appeal to fans of heavy metal. In the first place, the production work is phenomenal. The instruments and vocals are evenly distributed in volume and in quality in such a way that nothing in the album is perceived to be out of place, or ignored due to low or uneven volume levels. Both the instruments and vocals sound crisp, clean, and polished, while still maintaining an aggressive and furious atmosphere. The production work is extremely high quality and contributes to one’s enjoyment of the album.

Secondly, the musicianship heard throughout the album is extraordinary. Though the riffs may not be innovative, they help to differentiate Hatriot from other thrash bands because of how well they are executed. It is evident that tons of care, thought, and creativity went into making the music. “Suicide Run,” for example, features fast and complex guitar solo work that help the album shine. “Murder American Style” also offers composite riffs that are nicely layered and varied, switching in and out between fast single note action and aggressively strummed guitar chords. Also, the guitar solos throughout the release are very memorable, featuring high pitched harmonics, fast picked single notes, and sweep-picked arpeggios.

With the release of Heroes Of Origin, it is evident that Hatriot have reinforced a place of respect within the thrash metal genre. The high quality vocals, instrumentation, and musicianship make this album to be a great start to the metal releases of 2013.