Dead Hazards Drop A Massive Rock Record
A brand new album release from Dead Hazards delivers a massive soiree of heavy rock soundscapes that lend a hand to everything from grunge and progressive rock, to fuzz-tone garage and a hint of doom with augmented riffs, inventive approaches, and a tone that, at times, beckons 90s underground rock that we all loved.
The saline album wastes very little time giving you a taste of what you're in for with the first track, "Rerouting", coming in with a great intro riff and straight into this sort of classic but slightly gritty alt rock vibe that makes you think of bands like Soundgarden but also Helmet at the same time.
I love this element because throughout the records unfolding you can hear a slew of those kinds of influences flowing in and out of the veins of everything and for someone that grew up in a time where that form of grunge, progressive, and heavy-handed, inventive rock was huge, this record felt a bit nostalgic to me.
This is mostly because these guys nail the aesthetics so damn well that it feels like the record was released in the underground '90s and early 2000s somewhere. I love this feel because I know that's the sound they were going for, and they hit it on the head with this release.
I'm not saying that they purposely went for a particular vibe, but the way they naturally formulate their songs, the guitar tones, and songwriting, all point to a certain era of heavy rock, and I love that they incorporated those influences into their record.
This track was an amazing one to introduce the record with simply because it does portray some of the staples that you will hear as the rest of the album unfolds.
You have vocals that stand right on the forefront and give you melodic hooks but our song with a kind of brooding attitude at times which I loved, those thick guitar tones performing reps that are slightly outside the box, a little prog-rock but with an edgier approach, drums that push the songs and build a perfect drive but also add to that sort of intelligent rock underbelly, and bass guitars that don't just follow the guitars.
Having said that, there are a lot of surprises around the corners of this record, and you even hear several other influences coming into play that make you think that even elements of jazz were incorporated in the creation of this release.
What hits me about this album the most is the energy. Some or even all of these songs actually feel like they were recorded live on the floor, and everyone involved was just feeding off each other's energies the entire time, giving the whole record this robust, electric sort of flow.
I wasn't there, of course, so I'm not sure how they actually recorded the record but, listening to it makes you want to go see them play it live simply because if they can capture that kind of energy and aesthetic on record that well, seeing them live must be awesome.
Tracks like "Unpaid Tolls" deliver sounds and approaches that are further outside the box with robust and belting vocals that have a powerhouse of energy behind them and inventive but still incredibly driving drums that follow some unique time signatures at times but still give you this energetic feed and almost thrashy, alternative, texture that becomes an addictive staple of how the band does their thing.
I absolutely love the guitar work on this record because it's so out there to an extent. They do take those classic grungy style approaches with certain riffs and how they can add elements that almost sound like lead guitars into the riff itself that becomes the main section of the track.
Songs like "Prime" is a perfect example as the main riff comes right in with these great bends that you don't expect.
Like I said, there's a lot of surprises around the corners but all in all, this is a fat record that really delivers tons of layered textures and a unique songwriting approach that brings some new elements to a form of rock that feels nostalgic for me, personally.
This is like a love letter to their influences, and they do such a good job of putting their stamp on everything.
Although there are some songs like the ones I've already mentioned that stand on their own two feet as singles very well, I suggest listening to this record from beginning to end.
Checking out a few tracks might give you an idea or gist of what you might expect but will not give you the full spectrum of what the album has to offer as a whole.
Check this record out as soon as you can, especially if you're into edgy progressive, alternative, or heavy rock, and you certainly won't be disappointed.
Turn it up as well. It's ridiculous for you to listen to this at a low volume, so just don't do it.
See what you get from this record.
