HYADES – Abuse Your Illusions

Nine years had to pass, until the north Italian guys from HYADES could present their debut. 2001 they could collect some notoriety with their song Burning on the Heavy oder was?! compilation. Now they have signed a contract with Mausoleum, what allows them to show their mix of thrash, thrash, thrash again and a bit of power metal to a bigger audience.
HYADES moved since the days of their demo No Bullshit – Just Metal more to the bay area thrash. Bands like Exodus, very early Metallica and Testament are the godfathers of this work. Also Destruction, Sacred Reich and Living Death have left their traces in the songwriting. But in spite of all prejudices listening to Abuse Your Illusions you never feel bored or as if you have heard everything before.
The power the Italo thrashers use to make these ten bombs explode animates even a 666 years old mummy to bang its head. Also the good and clear sound of the CD contributes to it, so that songs like the opener No Man’s Land or Pictures Of A World sound even more intense.
In the lyrics HYADES do not mice their words and treat ironically those themes the jocular cover makes forefeel: war propaganda (Smart Bombs, Dumb War), capital punishment (Blameless In The Deathrow), and September, 11 (Sept.11, though not 2001, but 1973, when Pinochet finished democracy in Chile and, assisted by the USA, introduced his dictatorship). Further on also a certain Weorge Gackler Bush gets his personal dedication in Liar. The idea to lay Bushs statements to justify the war in Iraq (we remember: „There is no doubt that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction...“) on the solo of the song is simply great!
The CD ends with the cover Fight For Your Right To Party from the Beasty Boys. I could have expected everything as a cover, but sure not this! HYADES do this job on their way delivering a fat thrash-metallic party song.
Abuse Your Illusions is a strong thrash metal album. You can hear that these are experienced and especially talented guys, not some bloody greenhorns. Negondas and Testas riffing, as we are used from the predecessor Bullshit – Just Metal, is very accurate. The rhythm section (Orlando, b. and Ridolfi, dr.) give the main points. But I must admit that I was very, very surprised about the performance of the vocalist Colombo. I could have never thought that he could apply his voice so perfectly to such a hard piece of iron. This bastard made of Boltendahl and Dirkschneider gives this album with his powerful, rubby voice the last kick. Sensational!
HYADES will get more than just some attention with this output. Watch out!