UMUR "Heroes of Origin" is the debut full-length studio album by US thrash metal act Hatriot. The album was released through Massacre Records in January 2013. Hatriot features former Exodus frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza in the lineup but also his son Cody Souza on bass. Actually the whole band except for Zetro are pretty young guys, but no matter what the age of the various members are, their declared goal is to play US Bay Area influenced thrash metal.

...and they succeed very well in doing just that. It´s impossible not to mention Exodus because of Zetro´s distinct sounding voice and vocal style, but it´s not only the vocals that lead my thoughts toward the early- to mid eighties US Bay Area thrash metal style, the instrumental part of the music is also very much in that vein. Exodus is as mentioned the most obvious influence, but I hear some Slayer traits here and there too, and also a couple of more contemporary elements. The latter is mostly the case with the drumming style, which at times features semi-blasting and really fast played double bass drums. Not something you heard often in the eighties.

The band are really well playing and everything is delivered with fierce conviction and militant precision. Razor sharp thrashy riffing, blazing guitar solos, powerful drumming, a metallic clinging bass and of course Zetro´s snarling "fuck you" attitude vocals in front (and some really charming riot gang vocals too). The whole thing is packed in a powerful and raw sound production that works perfect with the music.

Fans of eighties US Bay Area thrash metal and especially fans of Exodus, should take notice here. This is just about as sweet as it gets if you are a fan of the style. "Heroes of Origin" is simply a high quality release on all parameters. Effective and catchy songwriting, excellent musicianship and a powerful production to boot. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

Time Signature Weapons of thrash destruction...

Genre: thrash metal

I have to admit that my favorite Exodus albums are ”Fabulous Disaster” and ”Impact is Imminent”, and, although I obviously enjoy the compact guitar riffs and the razor sharp guitar sound, what I like the best about those albums is frontan Steve Souza's aggressive and unique vocals. So, obviously, I was quite excited to hear about his new project Hatriot which was promoted as a thrash metal band.

And, well, Hatriot's debut album ”Heroes of Origin” does not disappoint at all.

From beginning to end, the listener is treated to fierce thrash metal of the same ferocity and quality as the above-mentioned Exodus-classics. The tempos are fast and the riffs are aggressive, but at the same time sightly technical. The fast tempos and ripping riffs result in an intense musical experience. But, of course, the main attraction point here is Steve Souza's vocals. He sounds angrier than ever, and his screechy snarl really adds an additional level of intensity to the already aggressive and, frankly, awesome thrash metal this album has to offer.

The production is a bit raw – in particular, the guitars have a rough edge to them – which obviously suits the music very well. This album also suggest that thrash metal may be genetically inherited, as two of his sons are also members of the band. However, there are no traces of nepotism for nepotism's sake on the album, as there is nothing wrong at all with the musical performance.

There is not a lot more to say other than, if you are a fan of old school thrash metal, you should not miss out on this istant thrash classic!