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Himsa

Hail Horror

Written by: PP on 27/01/2006 13:41:37

The first two months of 2006 are overwhelmed with metalcore/nu-hardcore efforts, and Himsa's "Hail Horror" is no exception to the rule. Landing in early February, the album borrows essential elements from both the hardcore and the Swedish melodic metal scenes, creating a sound similar to that of Darkest Hour's, only heavier and more brutal.

Johnny's raspy, thrown up vocals dominate the sound all over the record. They overpower the instruments with their bruteness when they're present, and the dominance is only broken by the captivating, technical guitar solos present in each song.

The main weakness with "Hail Horror", though, is the repetetive song structures. Each song contains equally thrashy riffs, the dominant vocals, the occasional mini solos preceding the main solo of the song and a semi-catchy chorus. However, there are a few songs that stand out from the others: "Pestilence", "Seminal" and "Sleezevil". Throughout these songs the Swedish influence shines through the most; the melodic guitars create beautiful textures, which allow the vocals to have an extra sharp edge, that isn't present during the thrashier parts.

All in all, "Hail Horror" is a solid effort trying to build on the success of legendary bands like At The Gates and the recent newcomers Darkest Hour. It offers nothing groundbreaking, but is still an ear-pleasing, solid effort that will undoubtedly sell well.

Download: Seminal, Pestilence
For the fans of: Darkest Hour, Bleeding Through

Release date 07.02.2006
Prosthetic Records