ADRENECHROME – Hideous Appetites CD Review

ARTIST: Adrenechrome
TITLE: Hideous Appetites
YEAR: 2012
LABEL: Unsigned
REVIEWED BY: John Roach

There is something to be said about metal creeping out of small communities. It has a rawness and purity to the emotion behind the music that differs from the feel of bands that have grown up in major cities. Orillia, Ontario is one of these quaint towns where metal takes hold on many of the youth who reside in the small clump of people living in this hospital/ retirement home community where the waterfront and graveyards are the coolest places to hang out. One band that hails from this town is one that is so unique in its sound and full of talent and bent up aggression. The progressive/melodic/thrash metal band Adrenechrome is this band and they are truly something to see live. I had a chance to see them for the second time in Barrie, Ontario a few days ago and they had just got their CD printed after months of setbacks. Was able to get my hands on a freshly stamped copy and took it for a spin. This album is worth talking about and needs more attention! I’m getting disgustingly metal hungry so here we go, Adrenechrome’s Hideous Appetites.  

“Titans Fall” starts the album by winding up for a sucker punch to your ear gullets and delivers with rifftastic appetizers.  The music has very interesting dynamics and go from all out thrash to groovy moments which are indeed groovy as fuck! When “Six Guns” or “Locust Wings” comes in with the main riff you can’t help but move. Music that moves people even in the slightest is something that reminds me why I love metal as much as I do. The raspy vocals of Chris Friesen are an eerie mix of singing and guttural vocals. His clean vocals remind me of young Troy Sanders (Mastadon) at certain points. He switches between both styles seamlessly to deliver catchy choruses and aggressive drives.

Chris also delivers these vocals while playing harmony guitars with Tim Kehoe which are so tight and are used to accent many of the riffs perfectly. At times with the rockish nature of some of the tracks like “Hymn for the Heathens”, it reminds me of “The Sword” from the States. The drums of Matt Copeland are so tight and full of strength. The fills are thunderous and elevate the whole song to a level that I don’t think it would achieve without it. The drums also have a variety of dynamics. It is not just a stream of loud hits but instead a high caliber performance from a talented musician. Speaking of talent, this band is full of it and it doesn’t come short in the bass department. “Winds of the Void” is one example where the bass prowess of Mike Van Dyke adds that extra element of atmosphere by not simply playing the root notes. It is a snarling beast that bites at you for attention even behind the rifftastical guitars and machine gun drums.

If anything though all these songs are progressive and constantly changing but not enough to detach you from what you’re listening to. There is a flow from track to track and within each track that makes each song have multiple moments of clarity and power.  Every track has something new to bring to the table without losing that Adrenechrome sound! It’s a weird mix of a multitude of genres with a reinforcing rock backbone.

This is truly a gem from the small metal mines of Ontario, Canada. Adrenechrome is well worth your time and not just in listening to their music. They are an act that is a must see live. Their stage presence and the execution of the music is unbelievable! If they are playing near you I urge you, URGE YOU, to go see them!! You won’t regret it!

TRACKLISTING:

01. Titan’s Fall
02. Six Guns
03. The Horror
04. Hymn for the Heathens
05. Winds of the Void
06. Locust Wings
07. The Hobbled 

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