Hiraes strikes back.
Following the success of their debut opus released in mid-2021, the band created by Britta Görtz (vocals, Critical Mess, Chaos Rising, ex-Cripper) and former Dawn of Disease members Mathias Blässe (drums), Lukas Kerk (guitar), Christian Wösten (bass) and Oliver Kirchner (guitar) announce the release of Dormant, their second album, still on Napalm Records.
The band attacks without delay with the modern Through The Storm, which couples frantic blast and jerky riffs under ferocious screams that barely soften under the heady leads of the unifying choruses. The track remains fairly accessible, as does We Owe No One, which follows with slightly more Old School elements that perfectly fit in the energetic musicians’ dynamics, as well as the diversification of the vocal parts, supported by a well-crafted mix. Sharp harmonics lead us into Undercurrent, whose melancholic touches and slower tempo allow us a slight pause of gentleness, completed by a few snatches of clean vocals that effortlessly flare up under keyboards before charging to the wild Chance To Fail, which returns to pure aggression and a few more guitar’s festive influences. The musicians adapt relatively well to these different sounds, before adopting dissonant leads on About Lies, a composition that has no trouble unleashing waves of frenzied headbanging as the vocalist goes wild, before offering us a rather majestic break. The album takes a real break with Come Alive, an instrumental interlude in which the four musicians take us along on their rhythmic journey to Ocean Child, a composition in which rage takes over again, without ever setting aside the catchy melodies. The roar continues on Nightflight, where virulent Thrash roots also take part in the assault while integrating ever sharper leads, then cybernetic influences are reborn with Red Soil before drums once again crush us. The surge calms down but still offers an eerie sound that explodes at times, creating an interesting contrast leading us to Dormant, the eponymous track, which brings the album to a close with its effective mix that mainly gives voice to epic leads before revealing its gentleness.
After a fairly effective first album, Hiraes is back with a more assertive style. Dormant allows the Germans to fully exploit their modern roots while injecting their various influences, and that’s a great thing for them.
80/100