HEDSTONE was a Heavy Metal band out of Chicago, Illinois active in the mid-late 1980s. They achieved a bit of local fame thanks to a song being put on a local compilation record in 1986. With no activity listed since 1988 and no apparent social media presence, "Out Of The Crypt" is not a reformation, just a re-release of their two demos with a few live songs thrown in for good measure. "Out Of The Crypt" was released by Arkeyn Steel on October 16, 2020.

Kicking this release off is the song "Hell On Her Side", a mid-tempo rocker with a decent riff and a pretty cool bass line. It is a fairly standard 80s sound. The drummer appears to be having some fun as well since they are not just a time keeper playing a static rhythm. This is pretty consistent throughout the record.

"Break The Spell" and "The Black Knight" are both decent songs. Both are a little darker and the riff a little heavier. Neither get to thrash level heaviness, but they do hold their own and don't veer off to the hard rock realm. These are reminiscent of bands like IRON MAIDEN and SAXON, but without the production value.

"Air Raid", the song that hit the 1986 compilation is a fast-paced tune with a decent rhythm and some good guitar work. I can see how this would be the song to highlight. With the better drum fills and some more intricate guitar work, this is the most ambitious song on the record. The most melodic is "Nuclear Winter", showcasing a slow lead in with a bit of a gloomy tone to it.

There is very little updating or remixing done on this release. There was also a limited quantity of hand-numbered copies produced. There was no real effort made to improve the sound quality or re-record any of the tracks, it is a simple re-release of historic files. This was meant for a specific target audience. There are some videos released with archived type footage and low production quality. If you are a fan of older works, or knew the band, this is for you. If not, there is not much to like about it as it sounds rough and there is nothing new to come.