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Hunter

      
         
         
         
     
             
Hunter are a heavy metal band from Belgium formed in 2016, releasing their 'Death Shall Have Dominion' demo in 2017. The bands self titled debut album was released in 2019.    
             
The debut album from Belgian metallers Hunter, is seven songs long and contains all three songs that appeared on their 2017 demo release. Big and beefy, Hunter deliver a mid paced mix of classic heavy metal - a sort of cross between Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Manowar and Metal Church - with a raspy vocal performance adding to the albums gruff sound. The album opens with 'Dominion', an early Black Sabbath doom/blues feel, big beefy riffs strolling by at a mid tempo pace. As 'Dominion' progresses, it leaves the 'Sabbath feel behind, adopting a much more traditional heavy metal sound. Hunter may be a Belgian band, but have clearly got a massive British feel to their sound.    
             
Each song on offer has its own character and style - Hunter not afraid to experiment with their sound, even on their debut release. The iconic buzzing guitar sound from the NWOBHM evolution makes its presence felt as 'Infiltrator' romps into view and moves swiftly on by. Head bangingly addictive, 'Infiltrator' has British written all over it - even though it is a Belgian export... 'Then Comes The Night' is more ballsy, with more punch, and is more melodic than the albums opening double. Hunter have dropped heavy metal, melodic metal and anthemic metal into a blender, and come up with 'Then Comes The Night'. Not bad for a band from a country more famous for chocolate, waffles, fries and beer! Adopting a heavy foot stomp, 'Underground' is more anthemic than anything heard so far. Anyone foolish enough to stand in its way are gonna be trampled over...for Hunter are in no mood to take prisoners...    
             
...their no nonsense approach to delivering heavy metal is commendable. They do what they want, and do it how they want. Picking up the pace, 'No Man's Land' is traditional heavy metal fare, galloping hard ala "foot on the monitor" style. Time for serious head banging as 'No Man's Land' remains very heavy. With a more hustle and bustle nature, 'The Knight Of The Black Rose' sets its sights on the epic and glory genres of metal, and at over five and a half minutes in length, is the longest song on offer - the other six songs all clocking in at less than four minutes! 'The Knight Of The Black Rose' meanders its way through various metal sub-genres, offering a wide variety of sound, but never stepping outside of the heavy metal genre. Maybe it's apt or just fate, but the final song is entitled 'Glorious', and has the glorious guitar sound so synonymous with the iconic NWOBHM evolution. For fans of the eighties style of traditional metal, 'Glorious' is gonna appeal to them like the holy grail.    
             
Overall, a thundering slice of metal that takes in various styles, but remains true to the stance, feel and purpose of heavy metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
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"a hard driving power driven album of galloping heavy metal nodding heavily in the direction of the glorious eighties" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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