Review HITTEN ‘Triumph & Tragedy’

Hitten, that’s five metalheads from Murcia, Spain that follow their metal compass that directs them towards 80s inspired heavy metal. The band started in 2011 and had a ‘First Strike With the Devil’ in 2014. Following a two year pattern, two more records hit the shelves and it’s ‘Triumph & Tragedy’ that marks a next step.

While listening to the album I felt reminded of bands like the earlier Dokken and Def Leppard. Hitten takes the spirit of these bands and transfer it into the here and now. Songs like ‘Hard Intentions (Secret Dancer)’ don’t shine by musical innovation. It is more the rich melodies and the heavy guitars that fascinate. Another bonus point of the album is the fact of Hitten stay true to a chosen musical niche while still having a certain level of variation on the album. It is e.g. the pumping metal heart is what drives ‘Ride Out the Storm’, a wild wind and surely more than just a breeze.

Melodies and catchiness of the ‘Under the Spell’ make the half-ballad to an ear-pleaser and is, together with ‘Something to Hide’, the soulful moment on ‘Triumph & Tragedy’. By the way, the title track is the finishing line of the album and instead of keeping it short and straight, Hitten embarks on an eleven minute endeavor. It’s not an easy thing to keep the thrill alive for such a musical marathon. And even if there are some edges along the way, the song is a worthy ending of a longplayer that can act as a homage for the glorious ‘80s. Important is, that Hitten is inspired by these heydays of melodic metal and lives the spirit of the time while not copying a standard formula. They found their own musical identity which leads to an interesting album with a lot of positive energy embedded. This album is more of a triumph than a tragedy.