‘Never judge a book by it’s cover.’ Whilst this cautionary phrase may be true to books and the common deceit of appearance, the same can not be said for the album artwork of Hvalross’ debut record Cold Dark Rain. A wall of seafoam green shades decorate the cover, whilst a mythological three-headed creature bearing the skulls of a ram, lion, and sea dragon reside next to an ocean traveller, and the album’s contents reflects that.
The Dutch quartet borrow lyrical and musical influence from Iron Maiden and Sabaton, the albums opening track ‘Death From Above’ coming in hard. The combination of Maarten Vermeulen’s bass and Tristan de Rijk’s drums create an unstoppable momentum that result in receiving a masochistic punch to the abdomen. As the title suggests, lyrical themes of a bloody battle being fought with bombs raining from the sky is a reference to modern warfare that won’t lose relevance anytime soon. “Trigger finger is standing by, bombs away, death from above, is it going to stop?” and ‘Trenchfeet’s lyrics “laying sober, shoulder to shoulder, trench feet colder,” creates visions of sharp glacial rain numbing the body.
The bands’ combination of musical influences range from power metal to prog rock, classic heavy metal to thrash, and ‘Finally Repent’ utilises them all. The skeletal drums are joined by Barry Veeke’s lead guitar with the rhythm subtly sliding in with upstrokes, the upbeat strum pattern borrowing from ska and reggae. Gerben van Oosterhout’s vocal phrasing of “move real fast” is contradictorily slow and drawn out, a vocal wail signifying the end of the track.
The faster paced ‘I Shot My Best Friend’ does exactly what it says on the tin. Themes of betrayal and vengeance hopefully being fictitious in nature, the pre-chorus’ harmonies and melody give the track a pop-like catchier edge to it. Straying away from the prominent NWOBHM influence, ‘The Owl’ leans more into prog territory with indie accents. Slowing down and offering a more soothing sound akin to grunge, with melancholic lyrics to match: “Nothing is real there’s nobody else, leaving here, I don’t know where I’m going.”
Coming full circle, ‘As I Am’ oozes an immediate spiral of torment, the guitar work taunting you and the heavy chug of bass dragging the track along. The high register vocals of “as I am” overspills with epic power metal vibes, forcing the acknowledgement of an evil presence lurking within the song.
A Velvet Revolver styled riff opens up ‘Playing the Big Game,’ whilst an Iron Maiden galloping characteristic tears through the verse, with a spoken word monologue hinting at the same storytelling capability of Maiden’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner.’
Cold Dark Rain ends with ‘Geryon’ and is hellishly heavy in turmoil with Metallica styled riffs scattered throughout. The opening lends itself to the modern sound much alike Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Shepherd of Fire,’ with a bass line that takes on a more commonly lead guitar styled riff within the chorus.
As far as debut albums go, Hvalross have constructed a solid and sturdy foundation with Cold Dark Rain, on which they can continue building a home for themselves. A substantial concoction of influences here and there for maximum enjoyment and discovery, Cold Dark Rain is out now on all streaming platforms. Click here for band information and touring updates, or follow social medias below.
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