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░ ██ ██ Artist: Hazy Hamlet ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Full Throttle █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-12-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Arthorium Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ When it comes to the spirit of classic heavy metal █
█ and NWOBHM groups, there's a plethora of new acts █
█ diving head first into the sea of like-minded ones █
█ from all across the globe. Brazil's Hazy Hamlet, █
█ however, is one that's been around a lot longer █
█ than most, but is looked upon as a fairly recent █
█ entry to that style's world. The entity came to █
█ life back in 1999, unleashing a self-titled demo █
█ in 2001, the Revelation EP in 2003, a single in █
█ 2004, and finally their debut full-length Forging █
█ Metal in 2009, roughly ten years after first █
█ coming together. There were a few of musicians █
█ that had come and gone in that time, but the final █
█ line-up eventually called it a day in 2011. Two █
█ years later, the band reactivated and later signed █
█ with Arthorium Records for Full Throttle, their █
█ anxiously awaited follow-up that would become █
█ vocalist Arthur Migotto's final studio album with █
█ the band. But does this new outing stand as a █
█ stunning return, or is it just one uninspiring █
█ vintage metal soaked composition after another? █
█ Right away the NWOBHM and classic heavy metal █
█ worship is evident, not just in the music being █
█ performed, but also the way it all sounds. Full █
█ Throttle sounds like a genuine analog vinyl █
█ pressing re-issued on compact disc. The █
█ instruments all have a notable amount of noise and █
█ static on them like the crackling output in the █
█ record player, as if torn right out of the █
█ eighties. Other than that, the guitars have a █
█ softer distortion to them, often reminiscent of █
█ Powerslave-era Iron Maiden - an influence you can █
█ pick up on in some tracks like "Odin's Ride" and █
█ it's similarly epic "Two Minutes to Midnight" █
█ approach - right down to the subtle bass guitar █
█ presence and echo of the commanding drum kit, not █
█ mention the grounded clean vocal performances that █
█ can bring a little extra heat into the mix. █
█ Other than the familiar audio quality standards of █
█ that particular era, Full Throttle acts as a love █
█ letter to the many bands that helped pioneer the █
█ style as a whole. "Full Throttle" starts things █
█ off with some Manowar attitude thrown into the █
█ traditional NWOBHM composition style, presenting █
█ the song with an atmosphere rich in █
█ testosterone-fuelled fantasy, especially in the █
█ far more melodic chorus with layered clean vocals. █
█ The energy on display also causes this one to be a █
█ little more upbeat, unlike the speed metal tinged █
█ "Jaws of Fenris". Two-step drums and tighter █
█ guitar work akin to early Grave Digger present a █
█ thick, machismo assertive cut ripe with rougher █
█ harmonizations among the cleaner, almost █
█ choir-like approaches in the chorus. █
█ Meanwhile there's "A Havoc Quest", a darker, █
█ heavier brief instrumental piece full of glorious █
█ hooks and a fantastic backing from the bass guitar █
█ that leaves you waiting for some falsetto and █
█ occult-themed inspiration akin to that of Mercyful █
█ Fate. Admittedly, it is an odd place to stick it █
█ considering the following cut, "Vendetta", doesn't █
█ really play off this intermission. That very cut █
█ introduces main verses that carry themselves with █
█ more of a modern sounding stoner rock influence █
█ before shifting gears abruptly for the anthemic █
█ chorus that channels the chant fuelled side of █
█ Manowar. It's not a bad performance, and the █
█ slower guitar solo with church bells in the █
█ distance by three-and-a-half minutes in ends up a █
█ nice touch, but it feels wildly out-of-place, not █
█ to mention clashing with what seems like a growing █
█ metal opera concept that much of the release █
█ creates up to this point. "Thorium" tries this as █
█ well, but is far more successful in the end by █
█ coming off less open-ended, and more like a █
█ Sabaton styled cut with a dynamic vocal presence █
█ that really gets the point across much easier than █
█ the aforementioned track achieved. █
█ When you break it all down, Full Throttle brings █
█ together most, if not all expectations of the █
█ style in a manner that makes some tracks feel as █
█ though you're listening to a long-lost heavy metal █
█ opera. Think Flash Gordon in a post-apocalyptic █
█ wasteland riddled with viking biker gangs clad in █
█ their leather armor, and you'll get the idea of █
█ the ballsiness of this effort that even the █
█ artwork can't escape being dragged into kicking █
█ and screaming. It's an odd sensation to receive █
█ though, as the accompany press release paints a █
█ completely different picture. According to it, █
█ this recording is based on "the last couple of █
█ (dark) years the band has gone through," and seems █
█ to have been created as "[...] motivation to live █
█ better, faster, and take part on everything [the █
█ listener] can to make this world a less mediocre █
█ one". And, well, it definitely succeeds most of █
█ the time by taking the band's pain and hardships █
█ as fuel to create a powerful album with █
█ conviction, making it a personal experience that █
█ anyone listening to it will instantly pick up on. █
█ But does this automatically make Full Throttle a █
█ smash hit? Well, no, not quite. There are times █
█ where the music doesn't quite fit, or the material █
█ sounds a bit too weak to really hit the listener █
█ as intended. However, with the arguable exception █
█ of "Vendetta", there's nothing that feels like █
█ genuine filler. In fact, it all comes through as █
█ an expression of the band's own burdens and █
█ beliefs without actually having to be told that's █
█ what the recording is about. Hazy Hamlet present █
█ their most matured effort to date, and it's an █
█ absolute shame that Arthur is departing the group █
█ come the end of 2015, as his range really does █
█ give the band a far more distinct presence in the █
█ heavy metal world. If you have yet to check this █
█ group out and love the glory days of the style, █
█ back when men roamed fantastical lands of vikings █
█ and kings with swords held high atop their horses █
█ of steel for their beliefs, political or █
█ otherwise, then Full Throttle is an infectious █
█ romp through the nostalgic eighties you won't soon █
█ regret. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Full Throttle 4:48 ░
░ 2. Symphony of Steel 5:18 ░
░ 3. A Havoc Quest 2:58 ░
░ 4. Vendetta 5:08 ░
░ 5. Jaws of Fenris 3:58 ░
░ 6. Odin's Ride 4:05 ░
░ 7. Thorium 5:08 ░
░ 8. Red Baron 6:44 ░
░ 38:07 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
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