Hacride
Back To Where You’ve Never Been

Exactly four years after the release of their third and critically acclaimed album ”Lazarus”, France’s Hacride return with a new exceptional album. The change of members doesn’t seem to hold them back, as the two new members, vocalist Louis Roux (replacing their trademark singer Samuel Bourreau) and drummer Florent Marcadet (replacing Olivier Laffond) have put 100% of theirselves in the band, that’s why this album will be acknowledged as one of the best of 2013 soon enough. Founding members Benoist Danneville (basss) and Adrien Grousset have succeeded in making Hacride truly unstoppable with these two additions in the band.

With the mellow beginning of ”Introversion” you may not feel prepared for what’s to come, but as Roux‘s vocal outbursts begin, you’ll see you won’t miss the old singer that much. ”Strive Ever To More” is a perfect example of how someone can write modern music that doesn’t contain non-metal elements that can lead the fans blame Hacride as a nu-metal band. The progress through their three more great albums has been the basic characteristic of the quartet from Poitiers, that’s what they offer on the new album as well. Some more energy than you might imagine is contained here, and this a large pros for the six compositions which all exceed five minutes in duration.

The only exception is the two three minute tracks ”Synesthesia” and ”To Numb The Pain”, which serve as a break that bridges the gap with the furious duo of ”Overcome” and ”Ghosts Of The Modern World” which follow the two aforementioned tracks. These two dynamites can easily be chosen as the best tracks of the album, including neurotic drum breaks, insane vocals, gigantic riffs and parts that can remind you bands from Dream Theater (of the post ”Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence” period) to Strapping Young Lad (the vocals on ”Ghosts Of The Modern World” could easily remind of Devin Townsend screaming his guts out).

The last track in such cases is the longest and so it happens with ”Requiem For A Lullaby”. An ideal track to close a remarkable album, starting slowly and evolving in so many ways and rhythms that will enable you push the play button once again. If your mind comes to bands like Gojira, Scarve, Klone or Eths (all of them French noisemakers with a lot of success), you won’t be that wrong. On the other hand, there’s a bit more of an American professional approach to the new material, which makes the result capable of opening doors for Hacride outside Europe, believe me it won’t be a surprise and the way I see it, it’s the less they deserve.

If we count the four year absence, the successfull change of members (which can become fatal for some bands with the wrong choice), the freshness of the new material and the return to the days of debut ”Deviant Current Signal” (in terms of aggression and loud sounding vocals), then the Frenchmen can claim that ”Back To Where You’ve Never Been” is a second beginning for them. The only thing remaining is to keep their initial two-year releases frequency and if the new members adjust to gigs the same way they did on this album, then the next one will be a triumph. Until then put this album next to Gojira’s ”L’enfant Sauvage” and ask yourself which one’s better. I choose Hacride…