[Cover art by Ryan T. Hancock]
Boy, that New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal just keeps on rollin’, don’t it? Which is great since, in these times of shitty shittiness, it remains imperative to remember the good stuff, those ostensibly non-essential things that allow for temporary escape, like small talk and games and art. Because of course they’re essential; they breathe wind into our sails.
Founder and guitarist David Cotti writes (nearly) all the music and handles production, recording, mixing and mastering, so this is clearly his band. HyperioN has experienced full turnover behind him since 2020’s Into the Maelstrom, although you wouldn’t know it from the new blood, who sound as comfortable and cohesive as a veteran band on Cybergenesis.
This new incarnation of HyperioN succeeds in finding the trad metal sweet spot where their music is reminiscent of the classic acts but doesn’t sound just like any of them. Listeners will recognize shades of Satan and Metal Church and Pharaoh, and ringing echoes of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, with a particular emphasis on the twin axe attack of Cotti and Francis Dipasquale. “Yet We Still Fight” is a terrific example, rousing and anthemic and featuring near constant interplay between them, including a kickass solo in the midsection. “Blood Over Chrome” amps up the epic, widens the spotlight to include the bass guitar, and maximizes the dialogue between guitars and vocals.
The penultimate track is focused on the story’s hero, the Rhizome Rider, which is a fascinating idea in light of its metaphorical and philosophical implications and, as cool as that is, it highlights a clear area for growth: as a concept album, Cybergenesis has so much potential for creativity that HyperioN has only touched on here, as each of the eight songs is cast in a relatively standard mold. Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with songs of standard structure – some of heavy metal’s most iconic songs are fairly straight forward in their construction – and these are all very good songs full of killer riffs and melodic earworms. It’s just that a little more adventurous songwriting might have pushed it all from very good to amazing.
Things get nearer the mark on album closer and longest song (6:48), “The Whole Of Time,” where Cotti’s choice of Max Morelli on vocals really pays dividends. Gritty and strong and able to hit high notes and hold them, Morelli is one of those guys that sounds like he was born to sing heavy metal. He’s got his own voice but there are moments when his delivery of Cotti’s melodies evokes the triumphant spirit of Mark Shelton and Manilla Road. This is especially true on “The Whole Of Time,” in which the story’s hero faces a critical choice point and where Cotti and HyperioN face their own in how to end the album. The song builds fantastic tension across its duration to reach a mighty apex where it just sort of ends without any real resolution. An unresolved ending may make sense thematically but, musically, it’s mildly unsatisfying, likely to leave listeners wanting.
Ultimately, Cybergenesis is a kickass album that celebrates heavy metal like a metalhead and sci-fi like an unabashed nerd, which is to say it does so naturally and with pride. Cotti and company have left some room to grow and, nonetheless, this is a record that comes highly recommended for anybody that loves either or both of those things and is looking for a reliable addition to their beat-the-bullshit bug out bag.
