The elder statesmen of heavy metal are getting, well,
elderly. From the fortysomethings in Metallica and Slayer to the true
geezers in Sabbath, Priest, and Maiden, the scent of true metal in 2007
is about as fresh as a bootleg cassette or yellowing fanzine. But in
San Francisco, the original home of American thrash, a new movement is
forming a daisy chain of Levi’s-clad warriors and Flying V commandoes,
and none of these groups are more poised to break out of the wolf pack
than the barely legal thrash act Hatchet.
With a median age of 21 (their frontman, Marcus, is the
undisputed leader at the ripe old age of 23), these kids
photograph just as sleazy, zitty, and pure as the young Hetfields
and Hannemans of 1984. Hatchet’s mission is simple—make the best
anthemic thrash metal music, and drink a lot of beer. Surely not a new
idea, but it’s still a classic model that unerringly guided many ’80s
heroes to their goals. In less than two years, the fledglings caught
the ear of Metal Blade Records—the very same label that
introduced Metallica, Slayer, and Celtic Frost to the world. Says
Marcus, “They had found us through our band page on MySpace,
unsolicited. We were all pretty stoked to hear from them!”
Certainly it can be said that the thrash revival is one more
cycle in the retro phenomenon. But according to Marcus, “We aren’t here
to pretend we are our influences. We are in it to forge a new sound and
carry on the name of heavy metal rather than stagnate it with
unoriginality.” He continues, “If you don’t like thrash, chances are
you don’t like metal, plain and simple. Without thrash, none of the
newer forms of heavy music today would exist.”
The kid knows what he’s talking about. Listen to the track “Attack
Imminent” on their MySpace page. The melodic leads, blistering riffs,
rapid-fire drums, and shouted choruses will take you back to thrash’s
golden age, which is right around the time the kids in Hatchet were
probably conceived.