HALCYON WAY
Bloody But Unbowed
Agonia Records
4/5
Georgia’s Halcyon Way have evolved into what I’d consider to be one of the most noteworthy mixtures of power/thrash and death metal that I’ve heard since latter-era Mercenary, and that’s saying something. They proved it with their previous outing Conquer and have only further developed with this fourth full-length album. When I say developed, I mean that more is done on the record than simple distortion backed thrash riffs as the title cut showcases with a slew of various structural changes right off the bat. You’ll also hear more than a few memorable leads stuffed into the mix, in addition to some pulse-pounding death metal moments. I’m almost reminded of Scar Symmetry when it comes to this balancing act, though Halcyon Way are nowhere near as technical. You’re still getting a power/thrash performance not unlike that of Iced Earth, Tad Morose, latter-era Nocturnal Rites or Jag Panzer and there are still some breakdown sections here and there to appeal to the modern metal aesthetic. Thankfully, backup vocalist Jon Boden plays just as well as he grunts, with Max Eve shredding his ass off in several places, adding a great deal of awesomeness to the performance. It must also be noted that frontman Steve Braun sounds better than he ever has on this album, which is a definite plus as I could not imagine the band without his touch.
Many of the cuts do follow the same power/thrash formula, but it is interesting to note “Slaves To Silicon” which throws in some unexpected electronic fair and almost leans towards disco metal in a few instances. Ultimately, the record is focused on overall catchiness as you might expect for this formula, but that works for me as I don’t mind silently singing along while playing air guitar to a disc that hits as hard as this one does. Halcyon Way are not reinventing the wheel, but they’re definitely carrying on the spirit of power/thrash to a new audience. If you’ve ever wondered what an act like Brainstorm would sound like with a bit more punch, than I think you’re going to find something to like here. While not the album of the year in my opinion, Bloody But Unbowed is definitely one of my favorite listens in 2018 and was definitely worth waiting for. I’ve already listened to it four times and that’s worth noting.