Hyperia – Silhouettes of Horror (Self-Released)
Monday, 21st March 2022
Assembling an addictive brand of primal thrash, Hyperia now call the Vancouver, British Columbia area of Canada home after establishing themselves since 2018 in Calgary. Moving back into DIY waters for their second full-length Silhouettes of Horror, there seems to be an added element of proper focus on the smaller details to flesh out the riff mechanics, stirring harmonies, diverse speedy and groove-laden tempos, plus the dual melodic/extreme vocal employment.
The slice and dice rhythms plus fluid, frantic leads delivered by David Kupisz and Colin Ryley take influence from the Scandinavian/European movement as much as North American/Bay Area greats – check out the stair step maneuvers and galloping nature to “Intoxication Therapy” where the controlled lead contains neoclassical/harmony touches to set up the subsequent parts of neck whipping, semi-blasting action. You can tell these musicians study at the foot of many legendary bands for influence – combining the intensity of Slayer, Exodus, and Death Angel with the innovative musicianship of Children of Bodom, occasionally allowing the bass play of Scott DeGruyter to garner a spotlight for “Experiment 77”. Session drummer Gord Alexander pummels his kit with controlled abandon, executing fine double kick/snare sequences that drive “Prisoner of the Mind” to swinging hair windmill tendencies, while throwing down standard thrash power principles for “Operation Midnight”. Beyond killer titles like “Hypnagogia” (the transitional state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep) and “Pleonexia” (A Greek philosophical concept for greed or avarice), the icing on top of an already enticing package lies with the fierce clean to extreme growl/scream delivery from Marlee Ryley. Venomous and slithering, you never know when she will melt paint off the walls only to hit solid melodies from her soul.
Beyond the ten original tracks on this record, we get Hyperia’s thrash transformation of the ABBA classic “Gimme Gimme Gimme” – the heavier chugging nature taking on a military march feel, the lead break taking the song into highest gear to serve these musicians well as a crowdpleaser when aired live. A logical next step up in their career, Hyperia proves that the current generation have plenty to say about the state of thrash metal and its obvious vitality.
