HDK - System Overload review
| Band: | HDK |
| Album: | System Overload |
| Style: | Thrash metal |
| Release date: | February 23, 2009 |
| A review by: | Dream Taster |
01. System Overload
02. Request
03. Let Go
04. Terrorist
05. Pedestal
06. On Hold
07. Breakdown
08. March
09. Perfect
10. Fight Or Flight
11. Fine Lines
With After Forever disbanded last year, the aggressive side of Dutch guitarist Sander Gommans took shape with a project called HDK (Originally Hate Death Kill) following his burn out. And what a project this is! Despite the brutal aspect of the music, Sander managed to convince singer/songwriter extraordinaire Amanda Sommerville to collaborate on HDK with vocals and lyrics. The very same Amanda known to us metalheads for her work on mellower projects such as Avantasia and Aina.
From Melodic Death to Thrash Metal, HDK is a total different entity than After Forever. HDK operates in a similar register as Annihilator for the overall guitar sound and aggression. However, Sander and Amanda managed to diversify the music to encompass several styles, without venturing too far from the roots of Thrash.
The vocals are varied since they are provided by Sander himself, Amanda, Andre Matos (ex-Angra, ex-Shaman), Jos Severens, Mike Scheijen and Paul Niessen. Anything from whispers to growls goes. The project has more guest appearances from Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon), Joost Van den Broek (ex-After Forever), Marcel Coenen (Sun Caged), Bastiaan Kuiper and Patrick Savelkoul.
The album is a juggernaut of aggression delivered in style with catchy melodies and monster guitar riffs. The rhythm section is also really impressive on this album, so let’s mention the excellent job by Arien van Weesenbeek on drums and Peter Vink on bass guitar. A lot of different influences made their way into the making of System Overload. But the true tour-de-force aspect of Sander’s music cames from the clean vocals (often layered with growls) against a violent Thrash/Death background.
As far as project go, HDK is one of those that should grab your attention right away if you have any interest in either Death or Thrash. Brutal yet fascinating from the first note to the last, System Overload is one hell of a bold project.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
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Written on 06.06.2009 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Comments
| annodomini Posts: 784  |
Wow differentely than on AAva Inferi, i agree with you on this one. Until Madder Mortem came, this one was the best this year for me.
---- the riddle wants to be...
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Irritable Ted on 07.06.2009 at 16:50 Don't think those two will ever work together again because of all the stuff that happened between them.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Irritable Ted on 07.06.2009 at 21:40 As you most probably know the two were in a relationship (with each other of course  ) for quite a while. Because of the break-up (in combination with the touring and writing stress of over the year s)Sander had a burn-out and Sander really needed to take a break from AF (that was in 2007). And apparently the two of them are still not on speaking turns.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Irritable Ted on 07.06.2009 at 23:06 As you might know this sort of music is totally not my cup of tea. But I got to give it to them that I more or less like their first two albums. And yes they are extremely friendly people. I have seen them live loads of times, and live they always impressed me. Last time I saw them was at Hellfest 2007 where George Oosthoek (Orphanage and numerous other bands) did the grunts for them on stage. But then again I have always had a soft spot for George's grunts (of course I am biased since I know all the way back to 1989 even before he was in a band) AF's bass player, Luuk van Gerwen,now plays bass in Cardamon, which is also a female fronted band but musically much more like melancholic era Katatonia mixed with early Anneke The Gathering and featuring Thomas Kalksma (ex-Detonation) on drums, also Koen Romeijn (Detonation) on guitars, Floortje Donia on vocals and Kevin Storm on guitars. Review of Cardamon's abum is on-line here at MetalStorm and this is their myspace site http://www.myspace.com/cardamon Gotta promote a local band, right?
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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