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HADRON
Evil Lady

Self-released (2020)
Rating: 7.5/10

Evil Lady is the second album from Danish four-piece Hadron, a band I’ve shown a vague interest in since they burst on to the scene with their 2016 demo.

Jumping into the jam-packed fortress of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Hadron has very much started to carve out an interesting career, marrying together an almost simple, yet doom-laden sound brim with British graininess and sombre glints.

Admittedly, 2019’s self-titled debut did little to blow away the cob-webs of the formulaic, and Evil Lady has attempted to prevent a damp, stale air with its almost laid-back yet very accessible vibe. And it is that feel which the band must be commended for, but as this ten-track affair rattles on I rarely become entrenched in its lore. Instead, I find myself pottering around, doing other things, as this throwback soundtrack to the late 70s and early 80s rumbles with the charm of a distant storm.

The opening title track features a nice riff courtesy of Anders Lorentzen, and the doomy nuances can easily drag you in, However, Martin Twisttmann Pedersen does at times seem to out stay his welcome with some of the vocal high notes, his throat seemingly aiming for awkward highs amidst the murky trudge. But there is a nice feel to proceedings, as if one has stumbled upon an old warm tavern somewhere in those craggy hills, and while there’s always that unnerving air, nothing ever untoward ever emerges.

‘Guide The Sunlight’ begins with heavy aplomb, a slow, suspenseful chug and we’re off into another doomy landscape where Martin’s tones feel more comfortable at a slightly lower grade. The drums of Thomas Pedersen thud nicely in tandem with Martin Schjoldager’s bass trickles as flecks of UFO and Iron Maiden flirt with early Saxon and Diamond Head.

Hadron’s sound is tainted with those doomy licks, particularly with the creping atmosphere of the rolling blackness that is ‘Under Afdeling D’. Here the band are at their doomiest, combing the Candlemass back catalogue for creakiness, which is also showcased on the retro groove of ‘Black Sheep’ with its simple yet oaken gloom.

‘I Am’ borders on the epic with its monolithic axe work and those tumbling drums of suspense. The passages in-between the vocal excerpts make for truly wonderful listening as the posse creates rather formidable stone sculptures to withstand any harsh weather conditions, with only the glint of duelling swords providing light in the stuffy darkness.

Closer ‘Fists Of Fire’ is starkly mesmeric, which again is doomy in its tirade as the band flirts more with a classic hard rock sound. Lyrically, the band is adept at creating atmosphere and not by being overly descriptive, and that’s summed up by the music too, because essentially ‘Fists Of Fire’ is a Teutonic power metal march of fiery banners held aloft to the sound of marching feet.

Admittedly there is an air of the predictable about the album, but there’s a mesmeric charm too as Hadron provide hearty background music while I tend to those pot plants in the ’shire. There is also a sincerity about Evil Lady, and maybe that’s down to that British feel, the imaginings of dark crisp valleys, smoking hills and gathering storm clouds.

Of course, you’ll find similar and far more authentic wisps back in those halcyon days of long lost 7-inch singles, but for now Hadron’s sophomore effort should keep you entertained in-between those glugs of soupy ale and bits of rain.

Neil Arnold

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