HAZY HAMLET - review added 14th October 2009
Album Review: Forging Metal (2009)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and misty villages
I have to say it came as no great surprise when I discovered that Hazy Hamlet came from Brazil. Maybe it's their early, averagely-produced Sepultura tones that give it away, or perhaps it's the singer's style. Whatever, the South American influence is strong.
Saying that, there's a fair slug of European and U.S. heavy metal in the mix too. You can hear Venom, Manowar, Iron Maiden, in fact loads of influences from far and wide.
The production on Forging Metal really is ropey, but the tunes are characterful and enthusiastically played. This is a band that'll be great on the live stage, although you'd need to wear animal furs to watch them. There's an overwhelming cavemen-esque charm to the performances that's either tongue-in-cheek-cool or frankly hilarious. Not sure which of those options I'll settle on at present.
Hazy Hamlet was formed in Maringa in the state of Paraná (southern Brazil). The line-up has changed a fair bit since their inception in 1999, and presently consists of Arthur Migotto (vocals), Julio Bertin (guitars), Fabio Nakahara (bass) and Cadu Madera (drums). They started off playing power metal and released their first disc - the Revelation EP - in 2005. Forging Metal is their first full-length.
There are no real stand out moments on the disc, although 'Funeral for a Viking' comes pretty close. It boasts some properly beastly rhythms, presumably designed to scare local populations of Neanderthals and woolly rhinos. Although the album commendably doesn't suffer from pronunciation errors, 'Chariot Of Thor' does sound a bit like they're singing about cherry cola, whilst the title track sounds more like f*cking metal - possibly intentionally.
Technically, Forging Metal isn't a particularly great album. The performances are passionate and pounding, but the production is a huge pile of pants. The songs are mostly nothing special either, but...there's something innately loveable about all of it. It's one of those albums that's almost embarrassing to like, but like it I do.
Check out... The prehistoric nature of it all.
Track List:
1. The Beginning of the End - part I
2. The Beginning of the End - part II
3. Black Masquerade
4. Metal Revolution
5. Field of Crosses
6. Funeral for a Viking
7. Chrome Heart
8. Chariot of Thor
9. Forging Metal
10. The Faces of Illusion
Artist's website(s): Hazy Hamlet , MySpace
