The Bay Area, in America is most famed to show the world the biggest and most famous Trash Metalbands like SLAYER, METALLICA, EXODUS, and TESTAMENT. Two of them, made part of the called BIG FOUR - the reunion of the four biggest Trash Metal bands: SLAYER, METALLICA, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. And I'm here this new release from HATCHET called "Fear Beyond Lunacy", debuted in October 30th by the label The End Records. They formed the band in 2006 and this is the third album they're releasing until now.

The artwork is very cliché and remembers you the DESTRUCTION cover arts. The instrumental is 100% competent and the production is perfect, balanced and professional.

Of course, your strong influence is base in German trash Metal bands, but unfortunately they don't make anything to stand out from the rest. The tracks are excellent and show you what you expect when you think in Trash Metal. OK, it's a Bay Area band making German Trash Metal but they make excellent songs! The guitar couple - Ramos and Cagle - did well the homework and shows us a top-class mix between killer riffs and awesome solos. The drums make the simple the stile need - speed and precision.

When you listen the first track - "Where Time Cannot Exist" - you can't imagine it's a Trash Metal band and this is the highlight for me, the virtuosity. From the first track to the last, you can prepare you neck and listen the truly 80's Trash Metal like KREATOR or other band do until now. I can choose to introduce you, listener to have an idea the song will wait for you. "Living In Extinction" with

Ramos screaming the letters and making an excellent work in guitars. Another it's "Dead And Gone" with an initial riff and super weight in the melody. "The World Beyond" is other killer song to head-bang and breaks your neck. With a fast instrumental, you can enjoy a lot it. The others songs follows the same formula - excellent riffs, heavy kitchen, screaming vocals. A simple Trash Metal formula you will listen in "Fear Beyond Lunacy".

If you like the clichés Trash Metal, you will love the new HATCHET album. But if you expect some more - anything different - you will simply listen once and forget it with the million bands that make the same song.