HAZZERD were formed in 2013, and they are from Calgary, Canada. The Thrash Metal band released one EP and two full-length albums so far. The third album “The 3^rd Dimension” was mixed and mastered by Johnny Gasparic (INTO ETERNITY; TYRANTS OF CHAOS). It has a length of about 41 minutes, and it was released via US label M-Theory Audio, which have many Thrash, Power, and Death Metal bands among their current roster. The album has a furious start with the tight and aggressive riffs of “Interdimension” at fast pace. It is a classical Thrash Metal song, where the verse parts switch between fast and mid-tempo. The vocals are harsh and vary somewhere between the medium and higher end of the vocal range. The track includes an extended break, played mainly at mid-tempo. The lead guitar solo is short but contributing to the track. “Scars” starts with an extended instrumental part, leading into the verse part at fast pace. It is a song, where the melodies driven by the guitars are in the focus, which have a neo-classical theme at times. The highlight of the track is the extended lead guitar solo. “Unto Ashes” starts with an epic pre-lude, leading into fast verse part with direct and aggressive riffing and vocals. The chorus part is slowed down towards a measured tempo with dark melodies. There are two lead guitar solos, and once again they are the best parts of the track and give it an extra layer. The instrumental start of “Deathbringer” has many IRON MAIDEN vibes, for example the main riff of the track. It is a mid-tempo song with dark melodies, which have a melancholic touch. A recurring feature of the album is the extended break with the extended lead guitars being central elements of that. “Deathbringer” is no exception from the rule and the lead guitar solo is surely the highlight of the track.

“TTT” is an instrumental inter-lude with classical inspired melodies. With “Pagueis”, the album goes back into Thrash Metal modus at mid-tempo. The guitar riffs are simple, direct, and aggressive. As the vocals are best suited to a more aggressive Thrash sound, tracks like “Interdimension” or “Pagueis” are the best ones of the album. The lead guitar solo at “Pagueis” might be a bit over-melodic and a more direct and aggressive solo might have done a better job. However, that does not take anything away from the track, which is one of the best on the album. “ThArSh TiLl DeTh” is another fast track with a few Rock vibes in the riffing. The riffing is tight and direct for most of the time. There is a bit of playing around stuff in this track and the listener should not take the whole track too seriously, in particular the break. “ThArSh TiLl DeTh” has been released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Parasitic” starts with a fast guitar intro, leading into a verse part, which is a mixture of mid- and fast tempo with tight riffing, which leaves room for some technicality. The chorus part is simple with the chorus line being intensified by background vocals. It is a relatively short track, which comes to its conclusion right after the break. “A Fell Omen” starts with an almost two-minutes, balad-esque introduction, leading into a fast delivery of aggression and melodies. “A Fell Omen” is an instrumental and an alternation of direct, aggressive riffs and a melodic framework with a few classical vibes and a few epic features. The track contains a lot of ideas in terms of riffing, solos, and melodies, which were arranged very well to make the track working.  It is by far the longest album track with a playing time of about nine minutes. The album closes with “Control” and it closes with good old Thrash Metal at mid-tempo. The riffing is once again very direct. The vocals have background vocal support, which gives the track an extra dimension. “Control” is a good way to end the album.

 HAZZERD deliver an interesting Thrash Metal album. “The 3^rd Dimension” has some classical, old school but also modern Thrash Metal elements. The guitar riffing is most often direct and aggressive, which fits perfectly with the vocals. Both the guitar riffing and the vocals complement each other very well. The focal point of the album are the melodies delivered by excellent lead guitar contributions. The album is well produced. “The 3^rd Dimension” is a mixture of ferocious and melodic Thrash Metal, and fans who love both styles will like what they hear.