5th March 2021

Review: “2020” by Hellfound

Formed in 2012 in Zhytomyr Ukraine, Hellfound started with a shared interest in horror movies and their lyrical themes often resolved around zombies and apocalyptic events, however during the bands development, themes have shifted to change and social problems accompanied by a healthy dose of Groove, Death and even Thrash Metal. The quintet started out as a quartet and currently comprise Yuriy Yakimchuk (Drums), Eugene Popov (bass), Vyacheslav “Dredd” Yatsyna (Vocals) and guitarist duo Dmitry Kravchuk (Guitars), Dmitry Anchukov (Guitars) and while it might be called “2020” but this EP includes a a pair of tracks previously released in “Emotion War” from 2019 and “Mind Revolution” from 2018.

“Lower emotions rule and will rule, You are on this planet not only for drool, Stop waiting for any changes or signs, Just push progress or science!” Opening cut “Mind Revolution” is a song that calls for the people to push for change rather than be dragged along by politicians and wealthy business people but does so in a more subtle way, with a throat shredding Death Metal uncleans against a Metal backdrop that sounds like Max Cavalera is fronting Pissing Razors. Largely a mid-tempo chugger, the slow headbang is perfect for holding a beer to while the broken chord segments in the final third are nice and tight. The socially aware “Emotion War” speaks of a person who has lost everything and is left with nothing but rage in a faster Thrash-tastic affair that relies on rhythmic dynamics and hooks rather than any form of flashy solo. Continuing the tsunami of rhythms “Be Careful” has an air of Exodus about it with an 80’s Thrash nostalgia and a sense of impending doom. The bass tones that open “You are not Terrorists” offer something a little different, while the rumble of the kick drums is like the approach of a tank on concrete. Sonically the song continues the blunt force trauma of the EP that relies on the groove orientation of the guitar work to hypnotize you into submission and does so very well with another anthemic piece that you can see the band getting an extra ten percent out of live in terms of energy and crowd interaction. Roaring in like a sandstorm “Routine” is reminiscent of the work of God Syndrome as it thunders through your ear drums, another instantly headbangable affair that tempo shifts nicely, offering mosh pit fun while the track is playing and something to think about afterwards [7/10]

Track listing