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Hackneyed has a large place in my heart – a place the German youngsters carved out with a sickingly brutal debut album and a no less than wondrous performance at Wacken 2010. This second album has a shitload to live up to… On “Burn After Reaping” Hackneyed is still focused on the simple, yet original riffing done by Devin Cox and are, apparently, heavily inspired by Bloodbath. The main point of interest here is the fact that Bloodbath is a supergroup of Swedish DM allstars ( featuring members of Opeth, Katatonia, Bewitched and October Tide) and Hackneyed is a bunch of badly behaved kids! Hackneyed actually manages to pull off this stunt, with a virtuosity that equals the Swedish masters. From the melancholy doom-thrash of Redying, over the Morbid Angel-like Deatholution, to the militant onslaught of March of the Worms, every song on this album is a style experiment in its own right. Some of them are extremely successful – others are good, though not as memorable the former. Most belongs in the first category, mixing the old school of traditional straight forward brutality with a few but zesty elements of metalcore and tech death. The problems start with the last 4-5 tracks or so. The handywork is still impressive; tight-knit and technically flawless. But it does seem like all the really good ideas was used on the first 2/3 of the album. The chaotic break down seems to be the only tool left in the toolbox by now, so it is used liberally. These last songs sounds pretty much alike, and nothing exciting happens, which leaves the listener with a sort of bland taste in his mouth. The exception to this is the very last song – the bonus track Guantanamo Bay Holiday – which is spiked up with some unplugged latin string in the start. It also returns to the fast-paced, well-groomed thrashy death of the beginning of the album – one does not avoid the chaotic break downs though. | ||||||||||||||||||
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