BACK TO WHERE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN

"Back to Where You've Never Been" is the 4th full-length studio album by French progressive extreme metal act Hacride. The album was released through Indie Recordings in April 2013. The band´s last album "Lazarus" was released in 2009, so Hacride are not the most fast working band around.

There is however an attention to detail on "Back to Where You've Never Been", that could explain the relatively long break between albums. The music on the album is groove laden progressive extreme metal featuring hardcore shouting vocals and occasionally also clean vocals. The rythms are heavy, the riffs sharp and futuristic sounding synths/keyboards are omnipresent. The tracks are not overtly complex in structure, but they often break out of the vers/chorus formula, and there is a progressive spirit present at all times.

The album is well produced and the band are well playing, so all in all "Back to Where You've Never Been" is a quality release. I´m not sure I think the band´s sound is that original, and they don´t really reach the songwriting heights of contemporaries like Gojira or Outcast, but "Back to Where You've Never Been" is still both an enjoyable and entertaining release if you enjoy acts like the two above mentioned and also a band like Textures, which I´m also reminded of. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted.