Honestly, I had to go back through the archives to find that I had, in fact, actually reviewed the debut from Hyro da Hero because the music sounded so familiar when I pressed play on the current record (Check out the review for Birth, School, Work, Death here for a refresher).
But I digress.
The year is 2018 and rap metal is still alive and well. It’s six years later from that debut and Hyro sounds just as intense and visceral as when that initial Ross Robinson-produced album dropped. “Bullet” starts the proceedings off right and is basically a refresher course in all things Hyro: lyrics as vicious as the riffs while these immediate percussive beats rattle your cage with Hyro’s rage seeping through when he screams “Wake up my people” during the breakdown reminding listeners why Hyro is still one of the most brilliant MC’s out there today.
Like Rage Against The Machine mixed with Love & Death is the best way I can describe Hyro The Hero (Coincidentally enough, Korn’s other guitar player James “Munky” Shaffer guests later on “Devil in Disguise”) and “We Ain’t Afraid” is the closest thing you’ll find to modern RATM…and if you listen closely you can hear echoes of the Rick & Morty theme during the build up. As for that other band? Well, “Closed Casket” has you covered and is like the shreddiest Korn jam ever combined with Body Count’s social awareness.
“Live Your Fuckin Life” is vicious yet sonically compelling with huge choruses interspersed by these verses that hint at what’s to come while “Do Or Die” is an anthem in the vein of recent 30 Seconds To Mars jams (And that’s not a knock! 30STM make the BEST modern sing-a-long anthems). “Never Back Down” follows suit with these equally huge choruses sandwiched between this sinister Americana backdrop (Think The Pale Emperor-era Marilyn Manson combined with radio friendly Five Finger Death Punch singles).
“Let The Snake Show” is concentrated chaos at its’ best and adheres to the “go big or go home” aesthetic especially when it comes to album closers. Funk-ified with this gigantic prog opening, the track grows into a gargantuan throwdown with Hyro spewing rapid fire hate before returning to the original flow.
Flagged Channel is out through RED Music/Sony on June 29th. Yours can be pre-ordered right now by clicking here or here. For the latest on Hyro, head on over here.