HEXLUST – A NEW THRASH BAND THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE THOSE SH*TTY NEW THRASH BANDS

Hexlust is a band that I have been familiar with for a little bit. They recorded a rehearsal demo in 2008, and I happen to get my hands on a good quality mp3 version of it. All of those songs are on their myspace for streaming, and even though I think that they shitty myspace player severely detracts from the overall sound of the songs, I still think that they show hope for this new thrash movement. Instead of overproducing and making their music sound clean, they retain the old-school thrash production sound which really gives them an edge. Sure, it might just be because of budget, but Hexlust also have substance behind the sound. All of the songs that they wrote (I think one or two are covers if I recall correctly) are very energetic and retain the spirit of the old thrash bands of the 80s, yet are also written rather well, with some odd structures and solos here and there. They may wear their influences on their sleeves (there’s one point where the high-pitched shriek sounds just like Slayer’s Angel of Death), but while doing so, they also throw in some originality, and in this thrash scene, that is rarely done. They are currently working on new songs at the moment, and frankly, I think that they deserve some recognition. Also, according to people I’ve spoken to, they play a killer live show. They’re in Texas, so if you find out that they’re playing, I’d suggest going to see them. Here is Hexlust’s myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hexlust I got an mp3 copy of their rehearsal demo from one of the members of the band. Maybe if you message them and ask nicely, they’ll send you a link. No guarantees on my part, but it’s worth a shot.

-Ziltoid