Progressive, technical ,
speed metal band originally from New Jersey (also my home state). Old metalheads
like myself remember this band from Metal
Massacre VI. Vocalist Alan Tecchio also performed with Watchtower.
During their long breakup, Alan Tecchio & Dan Lorenzo formed the band Non-Fiction.
Hades-Live on Location (Grand Slamm) 1992
1. "The Leaders?"
(5:42)
2. "King in Exile" (3:50)
3. "On to Iliad" (3:15)
4. "In the Meantime" (1:28)
5. "Opinionate!" (4:17)
6. "Rebel Without a Brain" (4:18)
7. ""A"" (1:25)
8. "Rape of Persephone" (2:54)
9. "The Cross" (4:11)
10. "Face the Fat Reality" (3:32)
11. "I Too Eye" (3:33)
12. "Aftermath of Betrayal" (6:32)
13. "Nightstalker" (5:48)
14. "M.E.S. (Technical Difficulties)" (2:55)
15. "Diplomatic Immunity" (2:50)
Nice live cd featuring mostly material from the band's first two albums that was actually recorded while the band was broken up. I checked out the band's web page and they had some interesting things to say about this disc...
About once a year (Usually in April) we would have a reunion show at Studio One in Newark, N.J.. Always packed, always fun. We wanted to record one last CD (or so we thought) for ourselves and our fans. We usually would only have one or two rehearsals. This live album has mostly songs from our first two CD's, plus the original beginning of "Rape" that Metallica kindly borrowed for Enter Sandman. We love this CD, although the guitars could be a little louder, I thought Alan sang his ass off (Which accounts for the fact that he is currently assless).
Really, what more needs to be said? HA! It is also interesting that printed inside the liner notes is this statement, "'Rape of Persephone' was written 3 years before 'Enter Sandman'". Hmmm, seems they are a little irritated with Metallica.
Hades-Exist to Resist (Brainstorm/Semaphore) 1995
1. "Exist to Resist"
(2:38)
2. "Rape of Persephone" (6:16)
3. "Doubt" (4:27)
4. "Colorblind" (5:11)
5. "Deter-My-Nation" (5:11)
6. "Throughout Me, Threw Out You" (4:58)
7. "Second Degree Sleepwalking" (3:50)
8. "A (G)" (1:35)
9. "The Other" (2:51)
10. "The Leaders?" (4:44)
Apparently this album exists with more than one cover. The cover I have is from the original German release from 1995. A re-release that has surfaced has a more colorful cover and several demo songs as bonus tracks. Regardless, as usual, I am always more interested in the originals, although bonus tracks are always a . . .'bonus.' Apparently much of the material on this disc, with the possible exception of the title tracks and 'Doubt' were written in 1998-89 and besides being played at a few gigs, was lost until this recording. Musically, Hades '95 offering is pure speed metal with some progressive and technical elements thrown in. Lots of aggression, but with enough hook to bring in a whale.
Hades - $avior$elf (Metal Blade) 1998
1. "$avior$elf"
(3:42)
2. "Decline & Fall of the American Empire" (3:15)
3. "Our Father" (1:37)
4. "Active Contrition" (3:53)
5. "To Know One" (3:59)
6. "In the Words of the Profit" (2:57)
7. "The Agnostic" [instrumental] (1:35)
8. "Y2K" (3:12)
9. "End of the Bargain" (6:12)
10. "Fall" (3:48)
11. "The Atheist" [instrumental] (1:49)
I can't believe I actually found a used copy of a Hades disc. I don't think I have ever run across one before. Anyhow, I found this disc for a mere $4.99. "$avior$elf" was the band's reunion disc after nearly a decade without a studio album. Unfortunately the lyrical approach to some of this disc is yet another stab at Christianity, although the band does have some valid complaints against Christian hypocrisy. "Y2K" has to be one of the earliest songs recorded about the disaster that was suppose to take place on Jan 1, 2000. (Of course we all know that nothing happened.) Musically the band falls somewhere between power metal and thrash, with the occasional twist thrown in, such as the acoustic ballad "Fall." There is plenty of technical playing and ideas on this disc, but in all reality, these guys just play solid heavy metal. Load, proud and from my home state of New Jersey. What more can a metalhead ask for?
Hades - The Downside (Metal Blade) 2000
1. "Ground Zero N.Y.C."
(4:13)
2. "Align the Planets" (4:01)
3. "Bitter suite #1" (3:11)
4. "Hoax" (4:01)
5. "Pay the Price" (2:11)
6. "Hail to the Thief" (3:00)
7. "Shove It" (3:13)
8. "It's a Wonderful Lie" (4:05)
9. "Become Dust" (3:44)
10. "Responsible" (4:24)
11. "The Me That Might Have Been" (3:30)
12. "Ground Zero (reprise)" (1:20)
Absolutely one of the finest true metal platters to come out in this new millenium thus far. Hades mix up power metal and thrash with classic song writing skills and a good dose of pure aggression. The songs on this disc all stay within the confines of heavy metal, but there is quite a bit of variation from song to song. "Hail to the Thief" sounds like something off some Fates Warning disc while other tracks like "Pay the Price" take on an almost death metal aggression. It is quite obvious that Hades are more concentrated on writing good heavy metal songs than trying to stay current with the flavor of the month. There are a bunch of guest musicians helping out on this album, including D.D. Verni (Overkill), Billy Millano (S.O.D./M.O.D.), and several others whom I did not immediately recognize.
Hades - DamNation (Metal Blade) 2001
1. "Bloast" (2:44)
2. "Out the Window" (3:49)
3. "Damnation" (3:18)
4. "Absorbed" (3:55)
5. "Force Quit" (3:21)
6. "Stressfest" (3:33)
7. "Biocaust" (2:44)
8. "This I Know" (4:06)
9. "Momentary Clarity" (2:47)
10. "California Song" (4:39)
11. "Stop and Go" (4:24)
12. "Bad Vibrations" (4:21)
HEAVY METAL! There are about many, many different labels you can put on metal these days, and each of those labels have sublabels. With all the blends of styles anymore, it's hard to classify bands. Hades, however, are easily labeled pure heavy metal. Of course they have their influences, and some would even say that they are rehashing a style that's been beaten into the ground, but I disagree. I think Hades sound fresh in a market over saturated with confused musical styles. Hades know what they are and they do it well. Must say that at times, Hades may even invoke some thrash influences as well, but overall they are just quality heavy metal that sounds neither tired nor dated. Will certainly investigate the rest of their catalogue.
Related collections:
Watchtower