Review HATRIOT ‘The Vale of Shadows’

A great advantage of youth is the recklessness and the will to make dreams come true. These points can be transferred to Hatriot to a certain degree. The band is a family project in a way, especially if you remember the origins.

Hatriot started in 2010 and it is the Souza family that is very closely linked to Hatriot. Thrash metal veteran Steve Souza fronted the band for the first five years and the lineup also includes his two sons, Cody and Nick. Both seem to have been born into thrash metal, and even when their prominent father turned his focus to Exodus in 2015, the two boys remained loyal to Hatriot.

These days the quartet releases their fourth album and just like on the previous one it is Cody Souza who contributes with guitar and vocals. Considering all this, it is no surprise that Hatriot have taken over some of the Exodus sound and come across like a younger version of the Bay Area pioneers. Even though the band’s origins are in thrash metal, songs like ‘Verminous and Vile’ show that the band’s influences are more widely spread. Jangly vocals alternate with growls, giving the sound of the album a blackened touch. In addition, the guys go wild and boisterous, which generally sounds good, but sometimes feels like the band is ahead of themselves.

‘The Vale of Shadows’, the title of the longplayer, is an energetic album that mixes the more traditional thrash metal with modern and blackened flavors. This creates an explosive mix that is enjoyable, but sometimes also demands a lot from the listener.