OVERRULED set the Netherlands on fire back in 2013 with the release of their self-titled EP. Five years later, they've come back toting a jug of gasoline and a book of matches with their debut release, Hybris. Their hybrid of Speed and Thrash burns like high-grade napalm. The opening track "Pawns of War" takes aim at the programming of violence and blind obedience that the military complex puts soldiers through.

The entire album's theme is dedicated to the insolence and pride of man; that road of ignorant self-assurance that leads down so many roads of self-destruction. The name Hybris is a reference to the Greek spirit of hubris. The self-titled track "Hybris" does a nod to the story of Icarus, the infamous tale of a man who flew too close to the sun and died because he wanted to see how high he could actually go. "Purgatory" is a gentle interlude, far and away from the sound and fury of the rest of the album. It is peaceful but also bleak. It includes a spoken passage from what I believe is the Tibetan Book of the Dead that calls for an adoption of a more tranquil mind state in order to achieve enlightenment for when your time is finally up.

Furious tracks like "She-Devil" and "Run for Your Life" are like evil grudges keeping us down, and impeding our search for real change. So far, I really like the thematic that OVERRULED chose. "Run For Your Life", originally appearing on their self-titled EP, is louder, more dynamic with more backing chords to give the song some extra dimension.

Hybris is a charging beast of a debut from a band that designed a particularly evil cocktail of coked-out Thrash for a head-spinning high. OVERRULED's conviction is final. No objections allowed unless you want to be held in contempt!