### Hexen: State of insurgency

#### 14/07/10 || InquisitorGeneralis

It’s no secret that I am not a huge fan of the revival of the “old-school” thrash sound that has become sort of popular lately. I think Municipal Waste sucks (sorry, but I do. I’ve listened to every album and seen them live. No dice), Toxic Holocaust is boring, and Skeletonwitch is just plain goofy. Warbringer has some nice moments but nothing has struck me enough to buy one of their records. I have heard good things about Blood Tsunami, but have yet to check them out. I mean why? Thrash was perfected twenty years ago, why reinvent the wheel? Am I slowly becoming an old, crusty, jaded metalhead as I rapidly approach the big three-oh? Oh God, it’s true. I’m getting fucking old.

However, a CD came across my desk not too long ago that has caused me to reevaluate my stance on the new thrash revival/movement/circle jerk… at least a little bit. “State of Insurgency” is the debut record by Los Angeles based Hexen and fuck me with Charlie Benante’s cock, this is heavy thrash done right. This blows any record by the previously mentioned bands out of the goddamn water and then comes up on the beach and beats the living shit out of them. “State of Insurgency” has enough of an older sound and feel to invoke (the knifer!) the feel of 80’s thrash but has enough modern, heavier elements to make the record seem original: not just a re(t)h®ashing of something already done twenty-five years ago by a bunch of Germans beating off to Motörhead.

“Blast radius” is a killer opener, literally. The cool intro of someone blowing up a bus lets you known Hexen is not fucking around and that most of the songs on here will be about terrorism, war, bombing, explosions etc etc. That appeals to me more than goofy shit about Satan or getting drunk… or getting drunk with Satan and having fallen-angel buttsecks. Sounds like a sick black metal song huh? Here are a few lyrics to “Penetrated by the Burning Cock-Sceptor ov Baphomet” by any shitty black metal band that you can think of:

Satan slipped some powder in my drink as we partied in Hell Was having a great time, the dark one is really swell My vision blurred, my words were slurred, I think I hit the floor When I awoke Satan flaming horned dick was going in my back-door! Penetrated by Satan’s cock, left my anus black and blue It hurt like Hell, but oh well, butt-raped by Lucifer? What can be more trve!

Sorry, I’ll use any and all chances to rip on black metal that I fucken get. Back to Hexen now. If you don’t think “Blast radius” is a killer song with is intense, death-like breakdown, killer guitar and bass solo and overall aggressive style you are fucken pussy. Best thing about “State of Insurgency” is that it avoids the dreaded repetitiveness that had plagued all of thrash metal since “Fist Full of Metal” came out. “Past life” slows things down a bit and is another amazing track. Other standouts include the ultra-heavy duo of “Seditions in peacetime” and “Bedlam walls” and the more classic thrash style “Gas Chamber” and “State of insurgency”. “Chaos aggressor” features a pretty sweet acoustic intro and ending and even the instrumental “Desolate horizons” is ace. It is remarkable that on their debut effort Hexen are able to pack in thirteen quality, heavy thrash songs that feature diverse and interesting structures.

The production is solid but not overdone which adds to the old-schoolness of the record. The noticeable and well-done bass should please Lord K and other funk pluckers out there. Carlos Cruz does a solid job on the drums and tosses in some interesting, technical sections from time to time. The real shining spot for Hexen is the excellent guitar work by Ronny Dorian and James Lopez: these two pump out heavy, melodic riffs and interesting solos throughout “State of insurgency” and really stand out amongst the 55,000,000 other retro-thrash guitarists trying to make it big out there. The one somewhat negative aspect of the band are Andre Hartoonian’s vocals. They do not suck or ruin the tunes at all but his shouting/growling style seems a bit off. Still, the songs and music are awesome and some less-than-perfect vocals are not the end of the fucken world.

You like metal? Buy this. You like thrash? Definitely buy this! You like pussy? Good luck douchebag. This won’t get you any directly but it will make you bang your head into the lockers at school and maybe, just maybe some chick will take pity on your dumb, metal-loving ass and blow you right then and there in the pool of blood in the hallway. Hexen bring the serious goods on “State of Insurgency” and I am definitely hoping they can follow this bad-boy up. Fuck MunicipalSkeletonHolocaustPenisLickerDeluxe, this is the band that the thrash craze needs to hang it’s collective hat on.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Old School Metal Records
- Website: Hexen MySpace
- Band
- Andre Hartoonian: vocals, bass
- Ronny Dorian: guitars
- James Lopez: guitars
- Carlos Cruz: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Blast Radius
- 02. Gas Chamber
- 03. Past Life
- 04. Knee Deep in the Dead
- 05. Chaos Aggressor
- 06. Bedlam Walls
- 07. The Serpent
- 08. No More Color
- 09. Mutiny and Betrayal
- 10. Seditions In Peacetime
- 11. Desolate Horizons
- 12. State of Insurgency
- 13. Outro