Hybrid

An improvement on their already arresting Beyond Undeniable Entropy EP, Hybrid’s debut full-length recklessly molests just about every style of metal and hardcore currently relevant without ever once losing sight of their ultimate goal: complete and total sonic devastation. Imagine Meshuggah, Gorguts, early Dillinger Escape Plan and Atheist in a blender but kicked up a notch by several generous doses of hallucinogenic experimentalism. This genre synthesis is rendered so fluidly and without error that many will be left paralysed, unable to comprehend such greatness. For those willing to seek out the deceptively catchy structural nuances, and resilient enough to withstand the apocalyptically heavy groove, a sure-fire album-of-the-year contender will present itself. Any band that successfully incorporate saxophone soloing over a breakdown are clearly on another level, especially when delivered over such clean yet raw and forceful production. Those familiar with Spanish brutal death outfit Wormed will be interested to know that the bands share a member, although aside from both being exceptionally good, the comparison ends there. The 8th Plague is a brutal release but Hybrid have left the limiting confines of technical death metal in the dust, and can easily be held in the same regard as the heavyweights of progressive metal or hardcore. This is the breakthrough release of 2008, if there’s any justice.