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Second Spin: Hyborian

~By Tom Hanno~

Editor's Note:

I've always had an internal tug of war about rushing to review new albums. As it turns out, most of our writers feel the same way. Thus, we continue our series called "Second Spin" to give consideration to records that we think deserve a trip around your turntable and a place in your collection. Over to you, Tom! (Billy Goate)

An age of violence and magic. A world of uncertainty. A soundtrack to a time forgotten by man.

Over the last few years, a band called HYBORIAN has been kicking up a real dust storm out of Kansas City. Last year, they self-released 'Hyborian, Vol. 1' (2017) digitally, which was subsequently picked up by Season of Mist and reissued on vinyl and compact disc in February.

Vol. 1 is six tracks of straight-up metal in the vein of Leviathan-era Mastodon -- only way better, in my opinion. This spring, Hyborian hit the road with Weedeater and Bask and I was in attendance to cover their March 22nd show for the Fuzz Heavy Podcast. I want to thank Hyborian for setting me up with my admission and for hanging out to chat with me. You guys rule on and off stage, too!

“We're pretty big into old-school Metallica and stuff like that, but everybody in this band worships Matt Pike,” says the band's frontman and guitarist, Martin Bush. “While we don't really sound like Sleep, and we're a lot more progressive than High on Fire is, that stark, straightforward raw aesthetic is really what we're going for.” In my opinion, they definitely hit that straight forward mark head on.

Photo by Jason Newton

What's more, the concept of the new record is very cool, but I’ll let them explain: “Lyrics, artwork, and everything tie into their concept of an interstellar, extra-dimensional being called the Traveler -- that cloaked figure on the cover of the record. Hyborian is the Traveler's chosen mouthpiece for this time in existence. He touched history, and at this place and time, so the band tells his legends from the time before written language.”

This album is full of bludgeoning guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, and killer singing. The vibe that runs through it all is full of frantic energy and never lets up from the first track (“As Above, So Below”) to the last (“Dross”). Riff after riff, the massive dogpile of awesome just crushes you with its intensity. Martin Bush has a phenomenal vocal approach, sounding as for all the world as if he’s crawled out from the very depths of hell. I like that he and Ryan Bates trade off on the vox here, as it adds another standout element to Hyborian as a band. The two come across expertly on stage, as well.

Hyborian: Vol. I by Hyborian

I mentioned earlier that Hyborian's music has an early-Mastodon feel about it and this comes in the form of some of the more progressively tinted leads. I know a lot of people that would really enjoy this aspect of their sound. Turns out, the guys dig Metallica, too, and in “Dross” you can hear that influence, with its thrashy rhythm work and guitar tone. It has a rawness that I find to be highly enjoyable.

I urge you all to check out this extremely talented band, because I have a feeling that they will be around for a while. Ryan even alluded to that while we talked, stating that they plan to come back through my neck of the woods in the Syracuse area as many as possible times. Vol. 1 is an example of everything that is right with metal and it deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. As per my usual, there will be links below to help you get started on a fascinating journey of your own with Hyborian. Enjoy!