“Awaiting Evil” is the first full length album from Bay Area thrashers Hatchet. Having already self released two demos and an EP the band were subsequently snapped up by Metal Blade, who’ve been embracing underground talent more so than usual in the last year.  Considering there’s been a re-birth of Thrash metal over the last year it seems everywhere in the world has been spawning thrash bands, even Liverpool and Huddersfield, however the Bay Area in California, the Thrash capital of the world, hasn’t had many noticeable bands since Machine Head, until now. 

Hatchet’s album storms you’re stereo with the frantic riffing of “Frailty Of The Flesh”, sounding like a cross between classic Metallica, Slayer and Paul Di’anno era Iron Maiden, but with a modern style  and production, giving it a clean and precise sound whilst remaining thrash through and through.  “Sealed Fate” and “Frozen Hell” both show how Hatchet are chips off the old thrash block, fast, hard hitting, solo driven, metal Armageddon. “The Morlocks Tomb” and “Storm The Gates” are both New Wave Of British heavy metal, Thrash crossovers, combining the best of both worlds to create something very metal.

Hatchet can definitely give their Earache counterparts Evile, Municipal Waste and SSS a run for their money, a promising debut album if I ever heard one!

John Consterdine