It's 2008, but Awaiting Evil would have been right at home during thrash's first generation. Hatchet learned well from bands like Slayer and Testament. There is some great guitar work from Julian Ramos and Sterling Bailey, and the songs also have a lot of groove and power. Opening a thrash album with an acoustic instrumental is an unusual move, but Hatchet sets the stage with a nice two minute interlude before the shredding begins.
Marcus Kirchen is the band's vocalist, and he delivers the lyrics with an aggressive spoken word style and a few power metal shrieks. Awaiting Evil is a raw, aggressive and very enjoyable album. Hatchet, along with some other talented young bands, is out to prove this generation of thrash metal is more than a mere fad or passing phase.
(released May 28, 2008 on Metal Blade Records)
