HellRazor Soothsayer
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
North Carolina-based power/thrash band HellRazor is back with Soothsayer, the eagerly-anticipated (if all too brief) follow-up to their 2008 debut In the Wild. HellRazor’s sound is a vicious blend of thrash metal speed and intensity with the spirit and melodic elements of power metal. Iced Earth was the easy comparison based on the debut, but with Soothsayer the band has taken their sound to a new level.
In the Wild was a very solid, totally enjoyable album, especially for a debut, but the songs on the Soothsayer EP showcase a major step forward for HellRazor on almost all fronts. The musicianship is tighter, Alan Rueda’s vocals, while still reminiscent of Matt Barlow’s, are more distinctive and extremely powerful, the production is improved, and perhaps most notable is the more seasoned and mature songwriting. The neck-snapping riffs and screaming intensity of the title track set the EP’s tone, and the remaining three songs carry that energy and metal thrashing mad aggression to the finish.
There isn’t much to complain about here, aside from the fact that Soothsayer is a 4-song EP and not a full-length HellRazor release. The format (CD-R in a cardboard sleeve) isn’t exactly a selling point either, but the music is more than strong enough to compensate.
Soothsayer is a fantastic leap forward from a band that will absolutely bear watching in the years to come. Fans of aggressive, melodic heavy metal from Iced Earth to Nevermore to Mercenary to Imagika to Armored Saint should absolutely check out this killer EP. Here’s hoping a full-length won’t be too far behind.
Genre: Power Metal, Thrash Metal
Band:
Jimbo (b) (v)
Chuck Giardino (d) (v)
Charley Shackleford (g) (v)
Alan Rueda (v)
Track Listing:
1. Soothsayer
2. The Fool
3. High Stakes
4. Closer to the Grave
Label: none
Website: www.myspace.com/hellrazornc
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10