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Reviews: Crobot, Hatriot, Envenomed, The Dirty Youth (Paul H & Alex)

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Crobot: Motherbrain (Mascot Records) [Paul H]

Fresh from their appearance on the mountain at Steelhouse Festival, the power outfit from Pottsville, Pennsylvania return with their fourth album. I will admit that Crobot have not really been in my line of vision for the past few years, possibly as their last release, the enjoyable Welcome To Fat City was released three years ago. I do recall being mightily impressed by their stoner swagger back at the O2 Academy in Bristol in 2015 when they opened for Black Label Society. Since those days, Crobot has morphed with brothers Paul and Jake Figueroa having left the band in 2017, leaving vocalist Brandon Yeagley and guitarist/vocalist Chris Bishop now joined by the revised engine room of Dan Ryan on drums and James Lascu on bass.

In Motherbrain we have the next phase in development of the band, with a move towards a more radio friendly classic rock style. Don’t panic though, as the gritty stoner underbelly remains and is in your face in the opening numbers, such as Burn and the excellent Alpha Dawg. From here the band slightly change their approach, with Stoning The Devil seeing the band move towards the Alter Bridge sound; a cleaner, more polished approach evident which would have gone down a storm with the Planet Rock crowd. Gasoline will draw inevitable Audioslave comparisons, Yeagley’s vocals eerily reminiscent of the late Cornell whilst Bishop’s choppy guitar recalls the axe work of one Tom Morello. Blackout and Destroyer will demand airplay on the classic rock circuit, with the former’s smouldering build up destined to be a huge live favourite. Crobot have delivered a sweet fourth release, and whilst their sound may have shifted slightly, there is still much about the band that appeals. Their hard rocking edge and thick riffs cannot be ignored. 8/10

Hatriot: From Days Unto Darkness (Massacre Records) [Paul H]

It’s been five long years since the Oakland powerhouse formed by the Exodus Singer Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza released the fine Dawn Of The New Centurion. A fine slice of lacerating thrash that allowed Souza to add his distinctive gnarly vocal to a ferocious assault. Whilst ‘Zetro’ is no longer on the microphone stand (he’s been back at the mothership since 2014), don’t for one-minute think that this third album is any less aggressive. Son Cody is now doubling bass and vocal duty and holy cow, that voice has continued down the family line. Distinctive in every way, Cody Souza picks up where the old man left off. Alongside Souza, brother Nick maintains the power from behind the kit, guitarist Kosta Vavatakis deals the jagged, slicing riffage accompanied by new axe man Kevin Paterson, who makes his Hatriot debut. 52 minutes of prime thrash, this album is a must if you like your thrash raw and with an old school feel. Gargantuan opener One Less Hell is brutal, and at 7:30 it’s a beast to open any album. Carnival Of Execution would grace any Exodus album, and whilst the band’s sound sticks closely to the Bay Area sound there is plenty of freshness to moisten even the most hardened thrasher. Centerpiece Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed smulders briefly before blending with an almost death metal feel, those riffs demanding you mosh around the room. There is not a dull track on this release, and it is one that should certainly be inching towards the top 20 come end of year. Ferocious thrash metal. You just can’t beat it. 8/10

Envenomed: The Walking Shred (El Puerto Records) [Paul H]

Envenomed: To make poisonous or noxious. Yeah, I had to check it out too. Surely that would apply to Ed Sheeran or some of the fake stars in our ‘get famous quick’ world? Well, regardless of that, Envenomed are unsurprisingly, a thrash band that hail from Melbourne, Australia. Formed in 2005, the current line-up has been in situ since 2013 when guitarist and vocalist Anthony ‘Mav’ Mavrikis was joined by bassist Liam Waegner, drummer Adam Bartleson and lead guitarist Brendan Farrugia. Their first long player Evil Unseen arrived the year after and five years on we now get sophomore release The Walking Shred. It’s well played, mainly in the Trivium and BFMV style, with harmonies on the clean vocals giving the band a melody that isn’t always present in thrash. To my filthy ears, the vocalist is key in thrash, and whilst Mavrikis certainly delivers, I prefer mine with a little more dirt under the fingernails. Nevertheless, this is a fine release, with chunky riffs, and a rock steady rhythm section making this a very listenable if unremarkable album. 6/10

The Dirty Youth: Utopia (Self Released) [Alex Swift]

The Dirty Youth are still around? I vaguely remember them from the song Fight, which received some Kerrang! Attention and a decent performance at Merthyr Rock festival in 2012 – The same day as Yashin, Lower Than Atlantis, Sonic Boom Six and Pulled Apart By Horses, who would also be quickly forgotten. Their style of angsty electronic alternative was never anything spectacular, yet proved catchy enough to win over crowds. On their third album, they are pursuing the same path – the vocals have a distinctly melodic yet snarling feel, the guitars chart out discernible if generic riffs while the synths serve to create an atmosphere. Nothing The Dirty Youth do throughout Utopia actively infuriates me, yet nothing excites me either. When it comes to alt-rock I tend to be a defender of the genre, yet if there’s only a few aspects I’m always critical of, repetitive formulas, soulless production and over simplicity certainly fall into that category. As this album goes on, the two markets being targeted become clear: Nightclubs and radio stations.

Fight was far from a great song, yet I least I could tell what the emotion on display was supposed to be. What on earth am I supposed to feel from a song like Horizon or Cannonballs? Anger, happiness, despair? Given the wasted potential on display, the last one would seem quite apt. Upon finishing the album, a song from the debut, consisting entirely of the words ‘La La La La La La, Let’s Get Drunk’, came on autoplay. I regret to tell you that I found more depth in that than I did from anything on…wait, what’s it called again…Utopia, that’s right. The amount of indifference I feel towards this album is so insufferable that I see the piece as more of a dystopia, of what all alternative could potentially sound like, if it weren’t for the experimental acts. Not that I’m in a rush to forget this album, but I’ve erased all mention of the Dirty Youth from my internet history, partly because I don’t want anyone reading the name and getting the wrong impression, mostly because I would rather get advertised substantial music 3/10

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