HACKNEYED

Death Prevails

Nuclear Blast/ CD

Sooner or later it must have had happened. And even though I hoped that metal-oriented labels won’t reach such a low level, I have to admit that it was based on really frail foundations. I am not so naive to believe that this band gets a chance to release material under the flag of a well-known label only because the artistic value of it's work is so high. I know that there's a big and merciless business behind the pictures of long haired idols on the covers of magazines or album of the month awards. But somewhere deep I still believed that there's also a place for real passion. And metal mainstream's bosses are not completely blinded with a greed of gain. That there's a room for what is authentic and sincere.

Today, when we have HACKNEYED’s debut album, what I wrote above seems to be so unrealistic. Wishful thinking of old and grumbling grandfather, who sits in the corner complaining that the world is coming down to the dogs. Gentlemen from NUCLEAR BLAST laugh today in the face of all those who want to live with illusion that metal business is not just a quest for money. It will be hard to prove that anything beyond the musicians' age - they all have from 14 to 16 years - forced the NB bosses to secure a record deal with German quintet HACKNEYED.

Of course we've already seen wonderful children in metal. Just to mention DEATH ANGEL wh started when they were really, really young. Poland's DECAPITATED were also presented as the youngest death metal band in the world. But what is different this time is that the quality of music won't be able to close opponents' mouths. Band's name can be translated as: well-worn, banal, trite. And it's quite bad sign. HACKNEYED follows it's name meaning by delivering secondary, predictable and standard death metal in the midtempos. But to we have some few-seconds-long triggered blasts, too. Guitar riffs are mostly taken from the box with CANNIBAL CORPSE name on it. With a few exceptions they are as average as polish national football team and won't stay on your head for a minute after you'll press the "stop" button. Vocalist Phillip Mazal growls in a way that is absolutely wearisome and dull. There's no ounce of anger in his voice. No emotions. In "Worlds Collide" and "Bone Grinder" HACKNEYED tries to diversify a little their sound with atmospheric keyboard parts. In "Gut Candy" we have acoustic guitars. But the final effect is still poor. We have as much enthusiasm here as in the German erotic comedies from late 70s.

Mediocrity, boredom and marketing. If you’ve already heard a few monotonous and death metal records, you’ve also heard HACKNEYED. As sensational as the goat ass trumpet.

4/12