Hyro the Hero is an interesting performer, and one I know next to nothing about. In 2018 he, to me at least, appeared out of nowhere and released one of the best rock/rap/hip-hop corossover albums I’ve ever heard – Flagged Channel. It was brutal, fresh, imaginative and covered a variety of styles. Since then he’s popped up with covers and guest appearances with a staggering array of names from the rock and metal world.
Indeed, this may be the way so many people have heard of him now. One look at the names on Bound For Glory and you realise that Mr Hero’s phone s list must be very impressive indeed. Brandon from Atreyu, Spencer and Dan from Ice Nine Kills (on two different songs), Markus from Solence, AJ from Fire From The Gods, Ched of HELLYEAH fame, David Draiman, and all of Reddstar. Fans may have heard the Charnas number (“Retaliation Generation”) before as it featured on 2022’s Worst Behavior EP, but the rest is all new (or at least new versions).
As with Flagged, Hyro the Hero hasn’t got stuck in a rut. He bounced off his musical influences from song to song to ensure that there’s never a dull moment. I do wonder how much of the material he writes himself and how much is co-written as he does seem to draw from the musicians he works with. This is by no means a complaint or criticism – it can’t be easy working with people in a one-off capacity, compared to bandmates who are used to feeding off each other. The net result is something that has the feel of a “best of” album spanning several years, not an album created in a shorter timeframe.
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Some songs are heavier on the rap/hip-hop end of things, others are more laden with distorted guitars, but pretty much every one of them is angry as all hell. The lightest, and even then it’s just not quite so abrasive, track is probably “We Believe” which has David Draiman guesting on vocals, closely followed by “Head Under Water”. “Renegade of Punk” is pretty much a rap number with some guitars thrown in.
At the other end we have “FU 2” which is just shouty and guitar driven. “Legendary” is… a bit eclectic, but it is a remix, and I have to it it’s one I’m skipping when I’m listening. I’m not a fan of remixes (not even the Fear Factory ones and I love that band). However, it’s the only blip out of the dozen tracks on offer, so there’s plenty left for me to enjoy.
If you’ve any interest in crossover acts, then Hyro the Hero is definitely a performer you want to be checking out. After a few listens I’m still preferring Flagged Channel, but I have a feeling that Bound For Glory is going to grow on me.
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Bound For Glory is out on September 15th
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