Hex A.D.: Delightful Sharp Edges

‘A three part narrative that takes the listener on a musical and lyrical journey into the horrors and tragedies of organised liquidation on a massive scale’, explains the press release that accompanies the Delightful Sharp Edges album from Hex A.D., which is the band’s sixth. A walk in the park this album is not, but don’t despair, because this utterly incomprehensible topic is actually handled in intelligent fashion, focussing in on specifics rather than generalisations and using some tasteful sound samples of people talking, a typewriter clacking away and such like to add a feeling of humanity to a conceptual album (not necessarily a ‘concept album’) discussing genocide.

It’s a real shame that a band this convincing still feel the need to explain the member’s background - across the four chaps that make up Hex A.D. time has been spent in the backing bands of Paul Di’Anno, Blaze Bayley, Ripper Owens and Bernie Marsden - none of which would lead you to the controlled, melodic doom sound laid out here. Anyway, all of that to one side, the important thing is the impact this album makes once you press play - and right from the off it’s a bloody good one. The groove and move of “The Memory Division� is infectious, pulling through some huge organ swipes from Mags Johansson and a slow, steady but engaging strike of guitars. Even this early it’s clear that drummer Matt Hagan and bassist Arewith Gogstad understand each other’s playing in and out, the pair locked in tight but loose enough to romp when required and caress when they can. Behind the mic, multi-instrumentalist Rick Hagan (he basically plays everything the other guys don’t and sings) goes for the throat, and for my taste the first two lines of this album land just a little wide of the mark, something that’s all the more frustrating for it being the only time the vocals go awry. In fact, the variety of tone and attack in Rick’s voice quickly becomes a strength where it felt like it might be anything but.

I must admit that as I traversed through the 70s heavy prog at the back end of the opening track - it is nearly 12 minutes long - Hex A.D. are already pointing us in directions no one expected, but with hammer slams of guitar, soaring solos and again, a real groove underneath all of that, there really is a lot of ground being covered. Cleverly, even though “Mar Herren Tar Deg I Nakken� threatens it and “Throwing Down The Gauntlet� at times pulls back on the keys, the very fact that this album never quite bursts into the out and out metal mayhem onslaught you often suspect that it might proves a real strength, although it also ensures that this album is quite a grower, rather than a quick fix - no bad thing.

With a really consistent attack from beginning to end and the overriding feeling that Delightful Sharp Edges has been crafted as one complete listening experience, there’s an undoubted retro feel at the heart of an album that in truth could have landed at just about any time across the last four and half decades. I do hope that people give this outfit a real chance, because on first listen I was impressed but not sold. As time has gone on that effect has heightened with nearly each passing day and that process continues to evolve even now.

Track Listing
1. The Memory Division
2. Murder In Slow Motion
3. …By A Thread
4. Nar Hellen Tar Deg I Nakken
5. Radio Terror
6. St. Francis
7. Throwing Down The Gauntlet
8. The Burmese Python
9. Beyond The Venom Trail
10. Hell Today
11. …Gone Tomorrow

Added: May 3rd 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Hex A.D. @ bandcamp
Hits: 377
Language: english

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