Steve "Zetro" Souza...as the original vocalist for Testament and the high ticket replacement for Paul Bailoff in Exodus, he's certainly got a lot of history on the US thrash metal scene. Though he's been relatively quiet for a while, he's back with a brand new band called Hatriot, and their debut Heroes of Origin will be a shot in the ass for any fan of the '80s Bay Area thrash scene.
If you loved Fabulous Disaster or Tempo of the Damned era Exodus when Souza was at the microphone, then Heroes of Origin will push all the right buttons for you. To his credit, the singer sounds all full of piss & vinegar, as if it was 1987 all over again, and he's assembled here a band that really know how to deliver ferocious and technical thrash the way it ought to be played. Tunes like "Suicide Run", "Murder American Style", "Blood Stained Wings", and "Weapons of Class Destruction" just bristle with neck snapping delight, with 'Zetro' spewing all sorts of maniacal savagery amidst furious rhythms and scorching guitar work. The production is quite good as well, with the guitars really having some serious crunch and Souza's vocals packed with plenty of punch. A tune like "Globicidal" even combines some slower, more grinding passages with a speedier thrash attack, showing that the band can add some variety to their sound. To top it all off, the blistering "And Your Children To Be Damned" is one of the most potent thrash tunes since, well, those classic Exodus songs of the original era that Souza sang with the band. Kick ass stuff.
With so many classic thrash acts making spectacular comebacks lately, it's no surprise that Mr. Souza wanted to join in on the fun. Hatriot are a serious band folks, and Heroes of Origin is that damn good.
Track Listing
1. Suicide Run
2. Weapons Of Class Destruction
3. Murder American Style
4. Blood Stained Wings
5. The Violent Times Of My Dark Passenger
6. Globicidal
7. And Your Children To Be Damned
8. The Mechanics Of Annihilation
9. Shadows Of The Buried
10. Heroes Of Origin