There is a spectre that once haunted the music scene of Detroit (in a positive way)- that ghost was a thriving scene of metal bands, who would often mingle with punks after crossover was set in stone. However, that period of killer metal bands slimmed to just a few as of late. Could it be- that perhaps thrash is making a comeback? It’s possible that it will; the more pertinent question here, however, is: Will Detroit’s Hash Blazer will be at the forefront of this metal resurgence? They could; the songs are there.
However, this demo may not be indicative of their best work. It is definitely very metal and very tight; as I said, the songs are there, and they are good. The guitar grinds, the drums pound, and the bass vibrates- what more could one want? Well, there are a couple of things: The vocals sound overly clean, even for traditional thrash; they are overly melodic and lack the aggression that would fit this style of music best. Though they aren’t bad per se, they are undoubtedly out of place for a dirty Motor City metal band. The other worry I raise is related strictly to the recording (not the music itself)- the mixing is unbelievably far down on the volume; every one of the instruments could have been turned up on the mixing board.
Ignoring those two things, the metal mania is strong with this one; the artwork, too, is very detailed and much respect must go out to the artist. I suppose if demos were supposed to be mixed perfectly, the metal scene would be filled with Metallica clones (those who want some kind of perfection doing things DIY, which is exceptionally rare, and rightfully so). Thankfully, Hash Blazer and its demo are far from perfect, yet fulfill the expectations one ought to have for a demo recording, by a band with the name Hash Blazer.
-Aunty Social
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