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HYDRA VEIN
Unlamented

Back On Black (2022)
Rating: 5/10

Oh how I wanted to kneel and worship at the altar of the returning Hydra Vein. Way back in 1988 I picked up the superb Rather Death Than False Of Faith debut from these UK thrashers at the legendary Shades Records store in London. The garish pink cover tone and hideously drawn reptilian creature leering from its arena of death had me drooling from the off, and even the band’s 1989 follow up, After The Dream, boasted enough technicality and depth to keep me mesmerised.

Like a lot of thrash acts at the time, Hydra Vein faded when the 90s hit, so I was rather astonished to hear the guys were back on the scene for a reboot. Unfortunately, just like fellow thrashers Xentrix and Acid Reign, the resurrection has been highly underwhelming. Unlamented doesn’t look like a Hydra Vein record and it doesn’t sound like one either in spite of featuring two original members Danny Ranger (guitar) and Damon Maddison (bass).

When original vocalist Mike Keen passed away in 2002 I feel that much of Hydra Vein’s soul went with him. New vocalist James Manley-Bird does a rather average job of filling Keen’s shoes – his rather generic macho shouts could belong to anyone – and while much of the guitar work is aggressive and sharp I’m rarely moved by the belligerence.

This is standard thrash metal from a band who should know better. After all, they’ve had enough time to structure this opus and when one considers that two further guitarists have been added, Unlamented is just uninspiring from the melodious yet mediocre ‘Does The End Justify The Means?’ to closer ‘Twilight’. I guess there’s only so much you can do with the classic thrash metal sound these days – it’s all been done a thousand times over – but I’d rather the guys go under a different name that tarnish the legacy.

The title track begins with some effective bass work and as with a majority of the material here there’s plenty of pace and chugging, but many of the songs soon begin to melt into one another, again mostly due to the tone of Manley-Bird. He just doesn’t suit this style of thrash, reminding me of a rather generic early-to-mid 90s groove metal vocalist. Tunes such as ‘Eradication Zone’ with its doomy beginning, and ‘Blue Lamp’ with its upbeat charge, are crying out for a killer vocal snap.

In my opinion, which counts for nothing among the die-hard Hydra Vein fans, the band should have enticed us with a an EP as a way of testing the waters because when I hear tracks such as ‘Mano A Mano’ with its sing-along styling I just wonder what were they thinking?

Of course, it’s too late now and after a handful of spins I’m finding myself lamenting Unlamented which has come stomping to the ring like a returning wrestler whose only move is a grizzly bear hug which is employed as a way of saving breath. I’m sure the band will continue on this path which is a shame, because they are pretty much unrecognisable and more so due to those woeful vocal rants of a chap who was as equally turgid in heavy metal combo Silvaticus. Sadly, the damage has been done… the dream is over.

Neil Arnold

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