UMUR "Entangled in Sin" is the 5th full-length studio album by US, San Francisco, California based metal act Hexx. The album was released through High Roller Records in September 2020. It´s the successor to "Wrath of the Reaper" from 2017, which was a comeback album for Hexx after a 26 years long wait since the release of their third full-length studio album "Morbid Reality" from 1991. There has been one lineup change on "Entangled in Sin" since the release of "Wrath of the Reaper (2007)" as bassist Mike Horn has been replaced by Don Wood.

Hexx have gone through different phases, playing very different musical styles from US power metal to technical death/thrash, so it was anyone´s guess which style Hexx would play on their comeback album. As it turned out the material on "Wrath of the Reaper (2007)" is a strongly Metal Church influenced US power/heavy metal style, and while the Metal Church influence isn´t as dominant on "Entangled in Sin", the material on the album is still a US power/heavy metal style, which is overall in a similar territory to the 80s legends. I hear a few nods toward the most hard edged Judas Priest material too, but Hexx aren´t copycats and can certainly hold their own, both when it comes to the songwriting and to the high level musicianship.

The instrumental part of the music is tightly performed, but still with a great organic touch and flow. This sounds like real people playing and the raw, powerful, and organic sounding production job further enhances that. Sharp and hard rocking riffs, great harmony themes and blistering guitar solos, a hard pounding organic playing rhythms section, and the attitude filled vocals by Eddy Vega in front. He has a strong voice and a fierce commanding delivery. Piercing screaming vocals, but also mid-range raw vocals. He adds a great personal touch to the music and his performance here is a great asset to the music.

Compared to the predecessor I hear a more personal sound on "Entangled in Sin", although all elements of the band´s sound are tried and true and you´ll find few surprises here if you´re familiar with the raw end of the spectrum of the US power/heavy metal style, Hexx manage and excel in one of the most important things when playing heavy metal, and that´s delivering your music with an attitude. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.