DEATHOX were formed by Ivano Vartuli (BeKy) with Metal Musicians from several bands. The Italian Thrash Metal project was formed in 2022. “Hallucinations” is the project’s sophomore album. It was mixed and mastered by CreeZ at Blu Room Studio and has a length of about 41 minutes. The album is an independent release. The album starts with a short acoustic introduction to “Heavy Shadows”, leading into verse part with tight traditional Thrash Metal guitar riffing, crunching basslines, and harsh vocals that vary around the medium end of the vocal range. The chorus parts slow down the pace towards mid-tempo with almost anthemic chorus lines. The break slows the tempo further to a short episode played at measured tempo. Eventually, the track circles back to the fast Thrash assault for another verse/chorus part. “Hungry” keeps going with the pace and aggression of the opening track. The guitar riffing is flesh-ripping and there is hardly any slowing down for the choruses. A mid-tempo break introduces a short lead guitar solo, but the focus of the track here is on pace and aggressive delivery. “Screaming Whisper” starts with an extended instrumental introductory part leading into a mid-tempo verse part followed by a chorus part at measured tempo. The guitar riffing is powerful, and the lead guitar contributions have a few oriental vibes. “No One Talks To Me” includes tight guitar riffing and crushing basslines at a measured tempo. The rhythm is somehow stomping during the first verse part however, pace and rhythm change drastically after the first verse at least for a short period. The vocals have backing vocal support, and they contain many grooves. The track has added textural complexity and many twists and turns in tempo and rhythm. “No One Talks To Me” is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below.

“Black Dust” is introduced by the acoustic guitars, and they are joined by the lead guitars shortly afterwards. The melodies are dark, and the track develops into a power ballad with thunderous guitar riffing during the chorus parts. The lead guitars play a pivotal role during the track and give it all an additional layer. There is a drastic change in sound for a mid-tempo break with tight Thrash Metal riffing leading into a short but contributing lead guitar solo. However, the track circles back to its ballad-esque roots quickly. “My Jail” goes back to traditional Thrash Metal with tight guitar riffing. The verse parts are mid-tempo, while the chorus parts are played at crazy pace. The guitar riffs are accompanied by strong basslines during the track. The break leads into a fast and very contributing lead guitar solo, which is the highlight of the track. “Broken Life” starts with powerful guitar riffs at mid-tempo, leading into a verse part at crazy pace with classical Thrash riffs. The chorus parts are short and played at mid-tempo where the vocals introduce a lot of grooves. The break slows down to a measured tempo and it takes a while including additional vocals until the lead guitar solo is unleashed. “Delusional Disorder” is introduced once again by the acoustic guitars, which provide the main melody of the track. After lead guitars, bass, and drums joined in, the track develops into an instrumental that switches constantly between mid-tempo and a measured tempo. The melodic framework of the track is grim with a few melancholic traces. “Delusional Disorder” provides a much-needed change in sound and is one of the album highlights.

“Shut Your Mouth” goes back to the well-tried traditional Thrash Metal approach. It is a fast track and there is no tempo change between verse and chorus parts. The guitar riffing is tight again and there is a lot of aggression in the verse and chorus parts. The break slows down, and once again, it takes quite a while to develop the break with the guitar riffing and the vocals until the lead guitar solo is ready to start. One album feature is that the solos are relatively short, and this one is no exception. Another album feature is that many tracks are introduced by the acoustic guitars and “Unsustainable” is such example. The track develops into the second power ballad of the album with grim melodies and powerful guitar riffs during the choruses. The vocals keep the sound of the track very well together and give it an extra dimension. Once again, the break leaves the ballad-esque sound for a short while and the lead guitar solo, however, it all circles back to another powerful chorus part. The album finishes with “Lifeless” and there is another lengthy introductory part, before the Thrash Metal riffing takes over at mid-tempo. There are little switches in tempo and rhythm between verse and chorus parts. The vocals give the track a lot of grooves once again. The break finally raises pace one more time and the lead guitar solo is played at breakneck speed. “Lifeless” represents many album features very well and is a good way to end the album.

DEATHOX deliver a promising second album. “Hallucinations” is traditional Thrash Metal at its core but smartly mixed with other sound elements and subgenres. The vocals allow to include a bit of Groove Metal to the album and DEATHOX cleverly use it. The album is not overly fast or aggressive, it is a healthy mix of different tempi and rhythms. Perhaps two ballads are one too many. The album is well produced. “Hallucinations” will establish the DEATHOX sound further and Thrash Metal fans will be happy with that what is offered on “Hallucinations”.