HEXTAR – Doomsayer

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7.0

• Bands:
  HEXTAR
• Duration: 00:43:31
• Available from: 05/24/2024
• Label:

• Dying Victims Productions

Streaming not yet available

Do you remember when German power metal was still inextricably linked to speed metal? When around titles like “Walls Of Jericho” by Helloween or “Battalions Of Fear” by Blind Guardian we witnessed a mix between the rawest and fastest metal with guitar virtuosity of American origin?
The Venetians Hextar evidently remember it well, who after a series of singles and EPs that had raised the antennas of those who follow the trend of the New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal, managed to release “Doomsayer” for Dying Victims, a record that right from the cover it transports us to a remote era where Scanner had just released “Hypertrace” and these sounds were starting to make inroads into the stereos and radios of the young metalheads of the time.
Ignoring the intro, from the first “Nothing Is Eternal” it is clear that the listener is catapulted into an era of fanzines and bedrooms covered with posters with He-Man and his Masters Of The Universe: fast pieces, which draw in abundance hands from what is written above, but without losing the taste for more lyrical moments where Emiliano Zinà's voice gets some well-deserved solo moments, as in “Hour Of Glory”.
These atmospheres, harsh, but capable of reminding us at the same time of suggestions that have escaped from “The Neverending Story” mixed with the adventures of the Goonies, are certainly the most successful point on the part of the quartet, with a truly interesting work by Marco Scattolin and Niccolò Giacometti at the guitars in terms of rhythms and solos, while some shadows of synthesizer appear here and there to enrich a story that unfolds through nine songs, where Amedeo Paolini's double bass drum supports everything.
However, the listener must not be confused by all the references to certain nerd imagery made so far: Hextar definitely deviates from the so-called 'happy power metal' trend, preferring to be more crude in terms of attitude and sound. The result is that, rather than choirs and bombastic atmospheres, the bass and double pedal reign supreme, as in the title track and in the final “The Story So Far”.
Ultimately, “Doomsayer” is a completely predictable debut, with some really successful pieces, capable of remaining attached to the very first European power metal but without disdaining some more epic atmospheres full of choirs.
Hextar are certainly a band that will need to be kept an eye on in the years to come, if they are able to remain anchored to a deep heavy root as in this album.