Hyperia – The Serpent’s Cycle.
Rating: 8/10
Review by: Mostowski
Hyperia are a four piece classic thrash metal band coming out of Vancouver, Canada and are just about to release their 3rd album ‘ The Serpent’s Cycle ‘ on November 17th. This follows their 2022 release ‘Silhouettes of horror.’, which gained much attention as one of Metal Hammer’s top 10 Thrash Albums of 2022.
After a recent band change and now being a four piece, momentum and passion have not been lost by having one guitarist. ( I can hear 2 guitars so curious about live? ) Hyperia are back with a slamming piece of work, which lyrically covers many of today’s relevant topics such as the woes of society, human failures with modesty and a little bit of being drunk. All the way through the record, the heat is never turned down. Hyperia are a full power band with hints of the legends of thrash that we all love. There are driving riffs, melodic precise solos, drum blasting at lightning speed and frantic bass work, combined with Marlee Ryley’s powerful voice that screams, has melody and can roar like anyone around ‘ the Serpent’s cycle ‘ is an all rounder.
The album kicks off with a classic moody intro that would worry your Grandma and then the riff arrives slow and heavy at first and then, BANG! We’re off at the speed of sound and we’re into the the first track ‘ Ego trip ‘ with a mighty kick in the gut! They are not letting anything slide here, it is a fury of speed, aggression and heaviness and is everything we love about the genre. The opening riff is a killer and the vocals are ferocious. A good start.
‘Automatic Thrash Machine ‘ has a quick to remember, catchy chorus and plenty of stuff to keep that head rocking and is following on in the same vein. Definitely a good choice for second spot as it keep the momentum going.
‘Prophet of deceit‘ was released on August 22nd as a single and is for sure a stand out track that grabs you from the first note, it is melodic in places and frantically minor in others, I particularly like the bridge and the classical arpeggios and what I think is some triplet drumming, but don’t quote on that.
The title track ‘The Serpent’s Cycle’ Reminds me a little of Testament musically in places and is bound to please with blasting drums and bass, heavy bass lines and powerful vocals ranging from belly – curdling screams to deep melodies, it is sure to have the desired effect.
‘Trapped in Time‘ starts of in a way that reminds me of Maiden in a faster, thrasher way, obviously and has another catchy chorus, I could see this. being a crowd favourite, live.
‘Eye for an eye‘ is a slower, heavier vibe besides the middle guitar solo, which is tearing though time, with lots of heavy bass going on, lots of scary singing from Marlee.
To show the bands diverse tastes, the final track is a cover of Heart’s – Crazy on you, which starts off in an acoustic fashion but obviously has a thrash feel but is more in a classic heavy metal vibe as to not over do it. It does justice to Ann and Nancy’s original.
So…. The overview. A consistent piece of work, that thrashes, bites and grabs your attention with power, hardness and a melodic under current. If you like hard hitting melodic thrash, then ‘ The Serpent’s Cycle ‘ is one to look out for. All through this record there are precise rhythm and lead guitars, hammering drums, the bass rumbling along in all the right places. The musicianship is excellent and Marlee Ryley’s vocals are brutal. The production is clear, the guitars are up front, maybe I would personally like clearer vocals, but maybe hard to have good intonation when screaming and growling. Having listened to this album more than a few times now, it is definitely a grower, these four are tight, the serpents cycle only gets better with every listen .
Track Listing
- Ego Trip
- Automatic thrash Machine
- Profit Of Deceit
- Psychosomatic
- The Serpent’s Cycle
- Trapped In Time
- Spirit Bandit
- Eye For An Eye
- Binge And Surge
- Deathbringer
- Crazy On You ( Heart Cover )
Hyperia online
https://hyperiametal.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/Hyperiabandofficial
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu9MUMaR-3LrbCO572_qJeQ
https://www.instagram.com/hyperiametal/