Like many bands in the early 2020’s, California’s Hatchet took an extended break away from the road due to the pandemic – while also cooling their jets on the recording front. Leave No Soul is the latest EP, six years removed from their previously strong fourth album Dying to Exist. The material is a mix of three newer songs plus two special covers, both of which may be unexpected to the average listener but align well to the wide array of hard rock / metal influences the quartet take into account.
The dynamic axe action of Julz Ramos and Clayton Cagle explodes out of the gate through the energetic title cut – containing a mix of speedy twin rhythms, crushing runs, as well as heroic back and forth lead action with all the right bends, twists, or turns you expect out of this thrash unit. Much like their contemporaries Havok, bassist Devin Reiche (also of Anubis) wields a potent bottom end power punch to his precise hand/finger movements that’s equally progressive, taking things into Steve Harris or Alex Webster overdrive especially on “Concealing Decay”. My favorite of the three new songs would be “Withering Minds”, the circular main hooks swarming in a mid-tempo vortex as Julz’ raspy vocal melodies with occasional high register screams envelop the listener next to occasional twin guitar parts or a closing double kick to serene transitional / gallop-fueled movement sure to cause headbanging frenzied movements in live situations. When it comes to the two covers, Annihilator’s “Human Insecticide” off Alice In Hell gets a modernized beefier treatment, still deadly in its approach to convince even those on the fence to these Canadians’ legendary impact on the scene – while W.A.S.P. for “Hellion” pays homage to the Sunset Strip 80s, the danger of this group, and showcases a fun track given a bit more of a harsher thrash take.
The road dog mentality Hatchet led for the years leading up to the pandemic has ultimate payoffs through some of their strongest original songs to date with Leave No Soul. A proper mix of semi-progressive riffs next to killer transitions, supplementary gang-oriented choruses, and adventurous rhythm section mechanics that keep up with the changes effortlessly prove that these gentlemen still have plenty left in the tank to be keeping thrash alive for decades to come.