thrash metal / death metal
 |  Support Merchants Of Air Check out our THISISNOTABANDSHIRT collection |
Henriëtta, strange name for a metal band if you ask me. It kinda reminds me of an aging woman who thinks she's still thirty-four and wears too much make-up and perfume to be taken seriously by the rest of the sane world. On the other hand, you can easily remember that name, and quite frankly, you should. If you're an old school metalhead, you definitely should remember Hernriëtta, because she rocks!
There was a time when Henriëtta was named Exhilaration and before that they were named Smekmuk. With each name change came a line-up change. In fact, the band have been looking for a solid line-up ever since their inception in 2011 and only now seem to have found it. The new name is a tribute to the 'Evil Dead' movies, and so is the album title. Yep, this is horror-induced death thrash.
The album opens quite silly with a bizarre electronic intro, something between the Pong game and old school EBM. However, after a few seconds, the song 'Henriëtta' kicks in and we're slashing our way through a bunch of freakish zombies. From then on, the listener is being drenched in a twisted cesspool of old school thrash metal and evil growls. The whole reminds me of something between Megadeth and Autopsy.
What I like about the album is the uncomplicated nature of the songs. They make pretty damn good headbanging material In a way, they're quite simple, maybe even I can play some of these if I practiced a little more. Either that or these guys make it sound simple because they're geniuses. Yet, it gives the whole a vintage old school atmosphere, where even old school Sepultura often comes to mind.
That being said, don't take these guys too lightly. They know quite well how to come up with excellent songs in perfect thrash tradition, complete with flashing solos. Some of these, including the awesome track 'Cry For Heaven's Gate', could easily become fan favorites. 'Midnight Neutering' can effortlessly start moshpits (yes, I know that title is hilarious too) and 'Apparitions In The Fog' will make many Iced Earth fans drool.
In recent years I've seen Dutch and Belgian bands come up with stunning old school inspired material. You could even say that there's somewhat of a revival going on these days. In that 'new wave of Lowlands metal', Henriëtta certainly deserve their place. Soon, these guys will make their way to the bigger stages and to metal festivals all around. I just hope nobody comes up with the brilliant idea to show up at one of those gigs, wielding a chainsaw to massacre everyone in attendance.
Serge
There was a time when Henriëtta was named Exhilaration and before that they were named Smekmuk. With each name change came a line-up change. In fact, the band have been looking for a solid line-up ever since their inception in 2011 and only now seem to have found it. The new name is a tribute to the 'Evil Dead' movies, and so is the album title. Yep, this is horror-induced death thrash.
The album opens quite silly with a bizarre electronic intro, something between the Pong game and old school EBM. However, after a few seconds, the song 'Henriëtta' kicks in and we're slashing our way through a bunch of freakish zombies. From then on, the listener is being drenched in a twisted cesspool of old school thrash metal and evil growls. The whole reminds me of something between Megadeth and Autopsy.
What I like about the album is the uncomplicated nature of the songs. They make pretty damn good headbanging material In a way, they're quite simple, maybe even I can play some of these if I practiced a little more. Either that or these guys make it sound simple because they're geniuses. Yet, it gives the whole a vintage old school atmosphere, where even old school Sepultura often comes to mind.
That being said, don't take these guys too lightly. They know quite well how to come up with excellent songs in perfect thrash tradition, complete with flashing solos. Some of these, including the awesome track 'Cry For Heaven's Gate', could easily become fan favorites. 'Midnight Neutering' can effortlessly start moshpits (yes, I know that title is hilarious too) and 'Apparitions In The Fog' will make many Iced Earth fans drool.
In recent years I've seen Dutch and Belgian bands come up with stunning old school inspired material. You could even say that there's somewhat of a revival going on these days. In that 'new wave of Lowlands metal', Henriëtta certainly deserve their place. Soon, these guys will make their way to the bigger stages and to metal festivals all around. I just hope nobody comes up with the brilliant idea to show up at one of those gigs, wielding a chainsaw to massacre everyone in attendance.
Serge