Hyaena

I really tried to convince myself many times that "Hyaena" is as phenomenal for Sadist as their previous two cds. Unfortunately (or fortunately), such charms of being a fan and delusions about former high level, because the matter is much different here. It just so happens that "Hyaena" is a wildly uneven lp, less thought-out and mostly not related to the not-so-old virtuosity (more on that in a moment). It does not mean immediately that the Italians recorded a crap or something totally inadequate to the band's name. Absolutely not! Well, it's not as thrilling and cleverly arranged material as "Season In Silence" or "Sadist", and at the same time it does not have as interesting novelties as its predecessors.

As the title suggests, the whole - both in terms of its concept and climate - refers to the symbolism of one of the most ruthless African extortioners, commonly shallow down to the worst kind of scavengers, i.e. hyenas. In that respect...it's also not very interesting! These "ferocious" introductions and twisted, exotic melodies work well, but unfortunately for the band, there isn't as much as the cover and titles might suggest. What's worse, this whole concept ceases to be particularly important when the music (unfortunately often) includes bizarrely kitschy keyboards, Trevor's tired screams/singing attempts or not very progressive riffs - as if taken from a completely different style compared to the rest, oriental part. As confirmation: "Scratching Rocks", "Bouki", "Genital Mask" or "African Devourers", which make you shudder uncomfortably from all these weirdness.

However, the strangest thing is that the lp makes a very positive impression at the very beginning. Well, at the first contact, you can even think that this is a continuation of the level from the predecessors! Well, if the whole cd was in the type of "The Lonely Mountain" (with fabulous technique and excellent guitar-bass solos) and "Pachycrocuta" (here are very good keyboards), I would have no major reservations. This is Sadist in its best form: twisted, with a sensible atmosphere and heaviness, and appropriately progressive. Then there are also interestingly differentiated "Gadavan Kura" (a relaxing instrumental, a bit more like a calmer Cynic songs) and the exotic sounding "Eternal Enemies" (with an excellent use of Indo-Arabic stringed instruments), but both before and after them, the band resolutely too often it blurs in other directions. The conclusion is simple, the content of "Hyaena" could use - simply - less combinatoriality.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2021/11/sadist-hyaena-2015.html