Hex A.D. first came across my radar in 2018 with their third album Netherworld Triumphant. Since then, the band has released another two full length albums, including 2021’s Funeral Tango for Gods & Men. The Norwegians haven’t rested though, as they are back once more with their latest release, Delightful Sharp Edges.
Anyone that can open their album with a 13-minute song is doing things their way. So it is with Hex A.D. “The Memory Division” is a sprawling, elongated but interesting ride. The band’s blend of seventies style rock is immediately recognisable, their musicianship impressive. The current line-up includes bassist Are Gogstad and Rick Hagan on guitar and vocals, both former live musicians with Paul Di’Anno and Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens. ed by drummer Matt Hagan and the Mellotron of Mags Johansen, they make a formidable team.
As a double album, Delightful Sharp Edges provides plenty to get stuck into. It’s not an instant record by any means. A concept album that deals with genocide isn’t going to be an easy listen. There are some challenging elements. After a couple of mid-paced tracks, the angular “Når Herren Tar Deg I Nakken” presents as a jarring piece. It leads into the next long song on this intriguing record, the nine-minute plus “Radio Terror. It’s an intricate and expansive track, dropping from melancholic harmonies into minutes of percussion before a riff and those Mellotron chords start to lift it. The romping age that follows harks back to the seventies feel that is draped across the album, echoing the likes of Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy in the sound and lyrical storytelling.
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The complexity of the sound is one of the key elements of the Hex A.D. approach. The interlude that they deliver across the album add depth, dramatic effect, and provide opportunity to pause. The use of the one-minute “St Francis” which leads into “Throwing Down the Gauntlet” is one of several examples.
Underneath it all is a Norwegian outfit whose doom filled rock is something a bit special. The combination of Mellotron and heavy guitar riffs works splendidly, even if this is an album that really needs several listens. “The Burmese Python” with its ebb and flow, and Pink Floyd-esque mid-section illustrates the band’s progressive tendencies, moving into a high-tempo section toward the latter part. It’s here that the Mellotron earns its keep, with some luscious thick riffs. It’s dramatic, harrowing, but compelling at the same time.
The temperature is maintained until the end. The penultimate song “Hell Today” is perhaps the heaviest and darkest on the album. Vocals that twist and turn, moving towards black metal at times as they rage over the thunderous cacophony the band conjure up before it returns to a more psychedelic style. It’s a fitting finale to an album that is ambitious, intense, and ultimately one that establishes Hex A.D. as a force to be reckoned with. With plans to expand the live show with the inclusion of another drummer and guitarist, any gigs that feature this band should probably be on the ‘must see’ list.
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Delightful Sharp Edges is out on May 12th
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