Hazmat
Atonement
Release Date: 18 April 2016 (iTunes)
Review by Cameron Cooper
By now, most Sydney-siders know the score, from Jay Callaby and Duck Howard’s days in Neophobia to Stu Tyrrell’s Acoustic Metal project, the battle-hardened, relentless quartet of Hazmat are the very definition of underdogs. It’s been a while since the band’s self-titled in 2010, and it shows through the weight of Atonement’s riffs, beats, and gravitas of frontman Callaby’s voice and lyrics.
While arguably thrashier than the band’s previous work, the band also explore other dimensions, from the sparse, crawling brood of, The Theatre, to the King Diamond-esque, Sucker Punch.
Sold, sees the band wear their Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies influences with pride, complete with relentless D-beats and a whirlwind, cavernous guitar solo. Title-track, Atonement, sees the band wrangle all their strengths at once, from Tyrrell’s melodically-charged and rhythmically-conscious bass solo to Callaby’s introspective and soulful lyrics.
This is a band at full force. No bullshit, no pretence. Just four men laying out their souls with HEAVY metal.
