Heksed

Heksed have travelled all the way from Norway for this show, and boy is it worth it. (...) Vocalist OcN has descended to the floor to mingle with the crowd, throwing rage from corner to corner of the room. They seem to erupt into every space they can occupy and it is this that makes Heksed a fantastic live band. - Heavy Petal

Following their recent signing to Thirty Days of Night Records, Norwegians Heksed are this week set to release their debut album on digital download. Having previously featured them on this blog as a band to watch out for, I was extremely happy to receive a review copy of the eponymous record, and even happier to find it not only lived up to my high expectations, but exceeded anything I could have hoped for.

Heksed play heavy, atmospheric hardcore in the style of Cursed and Black Breath, with the occasional nod to an Integrity or Rise and Fall. That alone should make them worth investigating, but it's their adeptness at the style that sets them apart from the majortiy of current hardcore acts. Each of the 8 tracks here is built on a foundation of downtuned riffing, huge bass lines and intricate, high-tempo drumming, all of which are performed to an incredibly high standard. Though the whole album clocks in at just over 20 minutes, Heksed are not the type to waste a single second. There's an urgency about everything they do on this intense record, you can't switch off for a moment as they simply demand your attention with their incredible skill and song writing abilities.

Opening track Bleeding in a Red Dress sounds not a million miles away from their TDON label mates Santa Karla, the guitars and vocals in particular are reminiscent of SK's material on the split with Length of Time. It's a pacey, riff heavy affair that keeps a high tempo throughout, and in doing so sets the tone for what is to come across the album. Though the 3rd rack, Mater, slow things down somewhat, opening with a slower, yet extremely heavy riff, this lasts approximately 40 seconds before they rediscover their pace and proceed to tear through the rest of the track in a vicious and relentless fashion.

Heksed are no one-trick ponies, though. Clearly they have a heavy mindset, but they do find time to throw in the odd dose of melody, and some almost rock moments, to break up the chaotic sound. The Prophets displays an almost Entombed-esque rock sound, while closing track Fractures throws all the bands influences together to create a brooding epic. Fractures is certainly the stand-out track of the album for me, and a fitting way to conclude a highly accomplished record. But, though they clearly have a flair for mixing things up, heavy and chaotic is what they do best, and who'd fault them for it? Not me.

This is an incredibly solid debut album from an extremely talented band, a must listen for anyone with a pair of ears. Hopefully we'll get to see Heksed over in the UK at some point over the coming months. Word on the street is that they'll be touring with End Reign at some point, definately something worth looking forward to. In the meantime go pick this record up from the links below. - Unchecked Aggression