HYSHTRAL is a relatively new Contemporary Metal band from Palma de Mallorca is Spain. Formed as recent as in 2024, they already are able to provide us with half an hour of their own music, put together on "Ad Infinitum", which was let loose on a very unsuspecting world on 16 January 2026. The information with the music states that they play Contemporary Metal, and that is absolutely what they do. you will hear Metalcore and Deathcore, but also a bit of Melodic Metal and Heavy Metal passing by, giving the band an amalgamation of styles and possibilities to choose from. As for the sound on "Ad Infinitum", it is just a tad oversteered, especially when the bass sounds go wild. Don't worry, your speakers aren't ripping or tearing, it is the sound as HYSHTRAL has intended it to be.

In the 30 plus minutes that HYSHTRAL needs to get through "Ad Infinitum", you will be thrown all over the place emotionally. One thing is for sure, the band definitely starts with their best song, as "Cell In Hell" is simply put a corker of a tune. The rest just can't follow suit, but that is understandable, considering the short time the band has been in existence. What I can say is that everything they do does make sense, has its merits and never is out of tune or disappointing. But what I also know is that even though HYSHTRAL has done their best, "Ad Infinitum" really is missing a few key elements to carry it higher than it does now. Those elements are excitement, surprise and attraction. I'm just not being drawn in, not being wrong-footed in a good way from time to time.

It's not as if HYSHTRAL has made "Ad Infinitum" into a bad album, not at all. You can hear that there is a lot of potential on offer here, but I feel that their short existence has not given them enough time to find out how to incorporate that potential into their songs in an optimal manner. I do know that whatever I may think or find, there are a lot of Metalcore and Deathcore fans out there that will relish what HYSHTRAL is bringing to them. And if that is the case, kudos to them, as they might be able to spot what I am missing. If they are, and HYSHTRAL come with a really strong successor to "Ad Infinitum", I will not hesitate admit I was wrong, and simultaneously congratulate them on their progress.