After six long years, Harlott are back and better than ever, picking up where “Detritus Of The Final Age” left off; the new album, “Exsequiss,” brings a tighter feel to the band, and their sound has somehow become bigger and much more polished. The eleven tracks on this album are all killer and leave you in no doubt that nothing is sweeter than the sound of thrash metal.
Opening with a guitar intro, “Incipiam” leads to the first track proper, “Void”, a relentless thrasher that is driven by a crushing drum, bass and riff combo that has a killer groove. Hudson’s vocals are brilliant, snarling with intent while chaos reigns around him. The guitar work from him and Bartley is savage, with riffs trading off nicely, and the solo dropped at the back end of the track is deadly, a blistering opening. “Messiah Simplex” brings out the heavier side of the band; with a pummeling drum beat and cutting riffs, it has a black metal feel to it, soaring yet foreboding at the same time. The bass reverberates through your skull while the guitars shred; Hudson’s vocals verge on the manic, adding to the intensity of the track, a nice change of direction without losing their thrash groove. “Trial By Liar” is wild, starting like a full-on thrash track with machine-gun drumming and savage riffs; it is ceaseless as Hudson spits out his lyrics in rhythm. Just as you are getting into it, it drops to a chugging, groove-laden piece; again, Hudson keeps his vocals in time with the beat, which gives it a heavier feel, only for it to change again with a killer melodic solo before normal thrash service is resumed- a track that literally leaves you breathless.
“The God That Knows No Name” has a serious rhythm created by Trayhern’s killer drumming and Richards’ fat bass, with Hudson and Bartley’s guitars ripping throughout; there is a hint of Kreator to this one, especially around the chorus, harmonious while still being brutal, an awesome track. “Kleptogenesis” is another balls-out thrasher that has both Hudson and Bartley on full tilt, keeping pace with the monster drum beat being laid down by Trayhern, with Richards bass underpinning the whole lot. Hudson puts in a shift vocally, keeping up with the frantic pace of the track, a serious banger. “A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits” is a bass-heavy thrasher with a blistering drum beat that will rattle the teeth in your head. The riffs from Bartley and Hudson are brilliant, giving some extra speed to the track, particularly at the midpoint where the intensity increases and every member seems to ramp it up; a monster tune. “The Joyful Stain” for me is one of the best tracks on the album; the groove created is killer, with the drums and bass building the platform for the guitars to let rip from the cutting riffs to the searing solos. Hudson and Bartley really outdo themselves, with the former’s vocals on par with the best of them around, a real standout. “Ending” opens slow and heavy before exploding into life with a thumping bass and drum line; chugging riffs lead the way with Hudson in full rage mode, snarling and screaming his way through the track. There is a nice groove around the chorus when things slow down a bit, with the harmonies from the backing vocals adding an extra dimension to it; once again, the solos are jaw-dropping- another banger from the guys.
“Vice Borne” is a traditional-style thrasher in a sense that it is fast as fuck, the drum beat from Trayhern is phenomenal as Richards’ bass booms from the get-go, with frantic fret work from Bartley and Hudson pushing the speed; you can’t but love this one. The closer and title track, “Exsequiis”, is all you could want and more; it is like they have taken aspects from each of the previous tracks and mashed them all together to create this masterpiece for your listening pleasure; it’s slow and heavy, it’s fast and groovy, it’s everything for everyone, as the age-old adage goes, you leave the best for last, an instant classic
Although it has been six years since Harlott have released anything, it is refreshing to hear that they have not only not lost a step but they have grown and expanded their sound, which, going on the evidence before me, is nothing but good
Review: Conor
“Exsequiis” is out on the 11th of September via Metal Blade Records.
| Incipiam | ||
| Void | ||
| Messiah Simplex | ||
| Trial by Liar | ||
| The God That Knows No Name | ||
| Kleptogenesis | ||
| A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits | ||
| The Joyful Stain | ||
| Endling | ||
| Vice Borne | ||
| Exsequiis |
Harlott are:
Andrew Hudson Vocals, guitar
Tom Richards Bass
Glen Trayhern Drums
Leigh Bartley Guitar
