▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Hazy Hamlet ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Full Throttle █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-12-03 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Arthorium Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ When it comes to the spirit of classic heavy metal █ █ and NWOBHM groups, there's a plethora of new acts █ █ diving head first into the sea of like-minded ones █ █ from all across the globe. Brazil's Hazy Hamlet, █ █ however, is one that's been around a lot longer █ █ than most, but is looked upon as a fairly recent █ █ entry to that style's world. The entity came to █ █ life back in 1999, unleashing a self-titled demo █ █ in 2001, the Revelation EP in 2003, a single in █ █ 2004, and finally their debut full-length Forging █ █ Metal in 2009, roughly ten years after first █ █ coming together. There were a few of musicians █ █ that had come and gone in that time, but the final █ █ line-up eventually called it a day in 2011. Two █ █ years later, the band reactivated and later signed █ █ with Arthorium Records for Full Throttle, their █ █ anxiously awaited follow-up that would become █ █ vocalist Arthur Migotto's final studio album with █ █ the band. But does this new outing stand as a █ █ stunning return, or is it just one uninspiring █ █ vintage metal soaked composition after another? █ █ Right away the NWOBHM and classic heavy metal █ █ worship is evident, not just in the music being █ █ performed, but also the way it all sounds. Full █ █ Throttle sounds like a genuine analog vinyl █ █ pressing re-issued on compact disc. The █ █ instruments all have a notable amount of noise and █ █ static on them like the crackling output in the █ █ record player, as if torn right out of the █ █ eighties. Other than that, the guitars have a █ █ softer distortion to them, often reminiscent of █ █ Powerslave-era Iron Maiden - an influence you can █ █ pick up on in some tracks like "Odin's Ride" and █ █ it's similarly epic "Two Minutes to Midnight" █ █ approach - right down to the subtle bass guitar █ █ presence and echo of the commanding drum kit, not █ █ mention the grounded clean vocal performances that █ █ can bring a little extra heat into the mix. █ █ Other than the familiar audio quality standards of █ █ that particular era, Full Throttle acts as a love █ █ letter to the many bands that helped pioneer the █ █ style as a whole. "Full Throttle" starts things █ █ off with some Manowar attitude thrown into the █ █ traditional NWOBHM composition style, presenting █ █ the song with an atmosphere rich in █ █ testosterone-fuelled fantasy, especially in the █ █ far more melodic chorus with layered clean vocals. █ █ The energy on display also causes this one to be a █ █ little more upbeat, unlike the speed metal tinged █ █ "Jaws of Fenris". Two-step drums and tighter █ █ guitar work akin to early Grave Digger present a █ █ thick, machismo assertive cut ripe with rougher █ █ harmonizations among the cleaner, almost █ █ choir-like approaches in the chorus. █ █ Meanwhile there's "A Havoc Quest", a darker, █ █ heavier brief instrumental piece full of glorious █ █ hooks and a fantastic backing from the bass guitar █ █ that leaves you waiting for some falsetto and █ █ occult-themed inspiration akin to that of Mercyful █ █ Fate. Admittedly, it is an odd place to stick it █ █ considering the following cut, "Vendetta", doesn't █ █ really play off this intermission. That very cut █ █ introduces main verses that carry themselves with █ █ more of a modern sounding stoner rock influence █ █ before shifting gears abruptly for the anthemic █ █ chorus that channels the chant fuelled side of █ █ Manowar. It's not a bad performance, and the █ █ slower guitar solo with church bells in the █ █ distance by three-and-a-half minutes in ends up a █ █ nice touch, but it feels wildly out-of-place, not █ █ to mention clashing with what seems like a growing █ █ metal opera concept that much of the release █ █ creates up to this point. "Thorium" tries this as █ █ well, but is far more successful in the end by █ █ coming off less open-ended, and more like a █ █ Sabaton styled cut with a dynamic vocal presence █ █ that really gets the point across much easier than █ █ the aforementioned track achieved. █ █ When you break it all down, Full Throttle brings █ █ together most, if not all expectations of the █ █ style in a manner that makes some tracks feel as █ █ though you're listening to a long-lost heavy metal █ █ opera. Think Flash Gordon in a post-apocalyptic █ █ wasteland riddled with viking biker gangs clad in █ █ their leather armor, and you'll get the idea of █ █ the ballsiness of this effort that even the █ █ artwork can't escape being dragged into kicking █ █ and screaming. It's an odd sensation to receive █ █ though, as the accompany press release paints a █ █ completely different picture. According to it, █ █ this recording is based on "the last couple of █ █ (dark) years the band has gone through," and seems █ █ to have been created as "[...] motivation to live █ █ better, faster, and take part on everything [the █ █ listener] can to make this world a less mediocre █ █ one". And, well, it definitely succeeds most of █ █ the time by taking the band's pain and hardships █ █ as fuel to create a powerful album with █ █ conviction, making it a personal experience that █ █ anyone listening to it will instantly pick up on. █ █ But does this automatically make Full Throttle a █ █ smash hit? Well, no, not quite. There are times █ █ where the music doesn't quite fit, or the material █ █ sounds a bit too weak to really hit the listener █ █ as intended. However, with the arguable exception █ █ of "Vendetta", there's nothing that feels like █ █ genuine filler. In fact, it all comes through as █ █ an expression of the band's own burdens and █ █ beliefs without actually having to be told that's █ █ what the recording is about. Hazy Hamlet present █ █ their most matured effort to date, and it's an █ █ absolute shame that Arthur is departing the group █ █ come the end of 2015, as his range really does █ █ give the band a far more distinct presence in the █ █ heavy metal world. If you have yet to check this █ █ group out and love the glory days of the style, █ █ back when men roamed fantastical lands of vikings █ █ and kings with swords held high atop their horses █ █ of steel for their beliefs, political or █ █ otherwise, then Full Throttle is an infectious █ █ romp through the nostalgic eighties you won't soon █ █ regret. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Full Throttle 4:48 ░ ░ 2. Symphony of Steel 5:18 ░ ░ 3. A Havoc Quest 2:58 ░ ░ 4. Vendetta 5:08 ░ ░ 5. Jaws of Fenris 3:58 ░ ░ 6. Odin's Ride 4:05 ░ ░ 7. Thorium 5:08 ░ ░ 8. Red Baron 6:44 ░ ░ 38:07 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░