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| Hamerex are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 2004, releasing to date two E.P.'s - 'Into War' (2009) and 'The Lycan' (2010), and two full length albums - 'Rites Of Passage' (2012) and 'IX' (2013). | ||||||
| The new album opens with the effects laden instrumental 'IX Circles', two minutes of crunching heavy metal with an immense old school feel that sets the tone for the rest of the album - an album that lurches forward with the bombastic 'Life Or Death', turning into a galloping "foot on the monitor" romp featuring a vocal delivery that sounds like a cross between Phil Rind (Sacred Reich), Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.) and Chuck Billy (Testament). A cracking opening salvo, the band are very much portraying an eighties metal sound but with added punch! | ||||||
| At six and a half minutes in length, 'Inferno' is the longest song heard on the album so far, opening with a slower, doom laden intro hinting at the early careers of iconic legends Black Sabbath and Dio - the feel of seventies heavy metal rising high in the air! A stark contrast to 'Life Or Death', Hamerex move from one side of the metal genre to the other, delivering a one-two that highlights both the fast, and the slower styles of heavy metal. The band adopt a mighty mid tempo foot stomp for 'Edge Of Madness', the guitar sound straight out of the eighties NWOBHM evolution. Bursting with pride and passion as 'Edge Of Madness' cruises on by, Hamerex are now in full flight, upping pace and tempo to the fastest levels heard so far - 'The Extremist' roaring on by with a Slayer-like ferocity, the band stepping over the border wall into thrash metal territory. | ||||||
| It would appear Hamerex are not content to be confined to just the heavy metal genre, 'IX' veering off track firstly with 'The Extremist', and now with 'Mortuary' - the band heading into the hard rock arena! Yes readers, hard rock! And for those listeners old enough to remember the eighties when all hard rock bands were labelled as heavy metal - Def Leppard, Kiss and Whitesnake to name just a few - Hamerex deliver a boundary breaking song heavily influenced by the eighties metal and rock evolution. The most infectious song heard so far, 'Mortuary' has one hell of a sing-a-long chorus, and must surely become a crowd favourite! | ||||||
| The recent metal and rock amalgamation remains front and centre as 'The Stranger' comes stomping into view, displaying a more mid tempo feel than 'Mortuary', but retaining every characteristic associated with the glorious sound and feel of old school metal. And British too, for Hamarex are proud as hell to fly the British flag for heavy metal - a flag that's been flown for years by the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Saxon. Rumbling into sight with pace and power, 'Descent Of Angels' presses the pedal firmly to the metal, the band lifting the energy level to new heights! The most head bang-able song by a proverbial country mile, Hamerex provide every mosher around the world with a fantastic opportunity to wreck their necks - an opportunity that no mosher has ever turned down! | ||||||
| And clocking in at over eleven minutes in length, 'Night Of Samhain' is by far and away the longest song on 'IX', and is highly reminiscent of any (or maybe all) of Iron Maiden's epic longer songs. Hamerex visit every corner of the heavy metal genre to deliver a diverse range of sounds, from atmospheric and eerie, to anthemic, mid tempo and all out pace, 'Night Of Samhain' has everything you'd expect from thrash, power, speed, doom and traditional heavy metal! Bringing the album to a close is the six minute long 'Still The Wall Remains' featuring a musical departure from everything heard up to this point! With acoustic guitars, soulful vocals and a lighter mood all on show, Hamerex veer tremendously close to ballad country, keeping just the one toe in metal territory! | ||||||
| Overall, a very good album that combines thrash metal, doom metal and hard rock with a superb growl-like vocal performance, proving that British heavy metal is not dead. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Hamerex | ||||||
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| "NWOBHM sounding release but with modern touches, this is an infectious, addictive and memorable heavy metal romp" Read Review | ||||||
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| Traitor | ||||||
| "traditional British heavy metal by a British heavy metal band, echoing the late seventies/early eighties evolutionary sound of the NWOBHM" Read Review | ||||||
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| The Abyss Vol.1 E.P. | ||||||
| "a thundering and head bangingly addictive release from a band at the top of their game, proudly delivering the traditional British heavy metal sound" Read Review | ||||||
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