IX is the second album from Hamerex, a 4 piece Heavy Metal band hailing from Wakefield, Yorkshire. The album features 10 tracks of the their own compositions and will be released on the 7th October 2013 on the bands own label IX Records.

A heavy, riff laden instrumental track entitled IX Circles opens proceedings and leads us nicely into the albums next offering The Life Of Death, a fast paced full on Metal assault with big guitar riffs, driving bass, pin point accurate drums, ballsy Metal/Rock vocals and a killer chant along chorus. The slower pacedInferno is up next, a heavy doom laden song that’s driven on with chugging guitars, big bass lines and gruff sorrowful vocals. Edge Of Madness is the fourth track, a mid paced song with chant like vocals with a face melting guitar solo mid way through that quickens things up briefly before slowing again.The Extremist, which is the fastest track on the album, shows a more thrashier side to the Hamerex sound with a galloping guitar intro/vocal verses changing pace into the slower chorus sections. One of my favourites Mortuary is up next, another Thrash style track that again has chant like vocals/backing vocals which are used to full effect before leading into an anthemic, fist pumping sing along chorus that’s guaranteed to go down well with fans at a Hamerex gig. Another big guitar riff intro opens the next track The Stranger, a mid paced song with more of a Hard Rock edge and another chant along chorus section before the pace slows with a long soulful/bluesy instrumental outro. Descent Of Angels sees a return to the full on Metal style of the band a track that powers along with raw vocals, great guitar work/solo, solid bass lines and pounding drums. By far the longest and most diverse track on the album is The Night Of Samhain an epic song of over 11 minutes that opens with a windswept acoustic guitar intro before launching into a slow paced guitar riff driven track with more controlled rock/metal style vocals and a trade mark chant along chorus. A nice guitar solo leads into a haunting choral section with an almost spoken vocal before another time change takes us into a faster guitar driven section which sees the return of the chant like vocals/backing vocals and other face melting guitar solo before returning to an acoustic outo … top track. Still The Wall Remains is the final track, a soulful song that is completely different to anything else on here with it’s slow paced mix of acoustic/electric guitars and softer vocals/backing vocals brings the album to a close.

IX is a solid and well produced album which shows the diversity of Hamerex, a talented band who are not afraid to experiment with different genres of the Metal/Rock scene which results in a varied and thoroughly enjoyable album…… A big ‘Horns Up’ 4/5 

For more info on Hamerex and details of where to purchase the IX album visit their website @ http://www.hamerex.com/home or their facebook page @http://www.facebook.com/hamerex

Seventh Son
Black Phoenix Rising
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