Hypermass – Clouded Visions EP (Self-Released)

Tuesday, 13th October 2015
Rating: 8/10

Whenever a band comes from Norway that isn’t black metal, it’s almost a natural, if not predictable reaction from journalists to say, “Wow, who would have thunk it? A non-black metal band from Norway!” Now, that’s not a verbatim quote, but surely you get the picture – the country’s notorious (and legendary) black metal past overrides anything it does in the present. Presently, a young band like Hypermass (from Trondheim) have quite a bit to offer in the tech-y, death-y, melodic-y realm, turning in a blistering five song EP in the form of Clouded Visions.

The band are only three years of age, fully grounded into the modern thrash-and-burn rumblings of Revocation, Sylosis, and at times, Trivium (i.e. pre-2013 era). Vocalist Markus Sundet certainly has a bark that reminds of Revo’s Dave Davidson, coming in handy during the spiraling riff portions found on “Embracing Erasion,” which is perhaps the EP’s most coordinated cut, highlighted by a high-wire chorus, and crisp breakdown section of the technical sort. Elsewhere, the flighty melodies of “In the Final Stage of Embryonic Mutation” and “Clouded Visions” are ample takes on classic Swede-death (Gothenburg) and bastardized American thrash.

A crisp, taut debut, stocked with the right ins and outs in the technical department, Hypermass are clearly, too pro to be unsigned at this stage. The production snaps, the Colin Marks artwork is snazzy, and above all else, Hypermass fancies itself to be a band oblivious to everything to Norway in metal the last 20 years. All signs point these gents making their way on up.

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