Whenever I ask one of my non-metalhead friends to fire up some metal, they hit one of Metallica‘s tracks. Damn. But who are we kidding? Ever since the Grammies forgot to do research and just handed prizes to the loudest American band with the worst and yellowest album covers, Thrash Metal got undue credit and false fame. Battle medals these folks didn’t quite deserve in the first place. But whatever the merit may be, this kind of promotion undoubtedly assisted the furious success of this genre over the decades.
So, here’s Hazzerd. A relatively young band having seen the light of day back in 2013 only. And they somewhat doggedly languish in an oldish, kinda barebone thrash style with a fondness for garishly outdated album covers. A direction reminding us of olden times when the genre evolved from Heavy Metal boredom into something more feral with an urge to collect speeding tickets. Old tropes reinvented? Not so fast.
The 3rd Dimension drives a hard bargain. In true thrash fashion, Hazzerd roars forward on some new-found fury that will put the aforementioned oldsters of Metallica and Megadeth to shame at the same time.1 There seems to be an intense and boundless energy fueling every move they make and wild riff they embark on. And they’re not being lazy about it, either. The 3rd Dimension sports an abundance of dueling riffs, wild acid solos and harmonies, plus merciless vocals roaring forth on a somewhat grating high-pitched rasp.
And it is indeed this apparent almost manic urge to push the envelope that made the RMR Review Desk lift their weary heads. Too many wannabe thrashies already graced our review pipe and were brutally thrown into the dreaded oubliette. So, why should Hazzerd be different? Well, it’s all in their tune. These Canadians manifest a genuine desire to take their wares to the next level. And that’s an effort to be lauded in one of the most overloaded genres of the metal multiverse.
So, what highlights have we got? Scars for sure. It excels with its melodic intro and the feisty typical thrash offering that will beat you into submission. Unto the Ashes got us with it’s frugal, no-nonsense air of brutality, studded with almost rap-like and deliciously monotonous vocals and an outstanding solo. The RMR crew much enjoyed the big fat middle finger to the genre and specifically to the posers at large on ThArSh TiLl DeTh. The meaning lurks in the lyrics you might understand when listening closely. For some reason, we can’t shake our suspicion that Hazzerd may have a bone to grind with the elitists over at Thrash Central.
The only track yours truly had (slight) reservations with was A Fell Omen. A 9-minute instrumental showcasing all those shiny things this band can do. Somewhat of a holdall of what could have been. But – oddly – it only remembers its bread and butter very late in the game with some pretty snazzy high-speed riffing. This would have been a perfect opportunity to use the dreaded executioner’s axe to chop some fat off an already lean frame. But it is too late for that now.
In the end, The 3rd Dimension won’t be breaking much new ground – and nobody really expected that. The stuff Hazzerd struts mainly roars from out of the middle of this mighty river thrash has become. And only their undoubted knack for variation, a swagger larger than the Canadian outback, and a berserk need for speed will slightly lift them off that comfortable position. That said, their brand of thrash is fresh, energetic, and full of pretty good ideas. And all of that mighty metal is delivered with outstanding musical prowess to spare. Thus, it was actually fun to give this disk a few spins as long as the excitement lasted. But same as most records of this genre, things won’t move much farther than that.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: M-Theory Audio | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 17 January 2025
- Yo, James ma maan, you listening? -Ed.-↩