Album Review – Hyperia / Silhouettes of Horror (2022)

This unrelenting Melodic Thrash Metal squad from Canada is back with a fast and furious new album, exploring parapsychology, night terror hallucinations and inhumane government experiments.

Formerly of Calgary, Alberta, and now residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, the unrelenting Canadian Melodic Thrash Metal squad Hyperia is unleashing upon humanity a fast, melodic and heavy-hitting thrasher entitled Silhouettes of Horror, the follow-up to their 2020 critically acclaimed album Insanitorium. Mixed by Colin Ryley at Singularity Sound Studios, mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, and displaying a beyond classic artwork by Belarusian illustrator Andrei Bouzikov, Silhouettes of Horror explores parapsychology, night terror hallucinations and inhumane government experiments, all embraced by the thrashing music blasted by Marlee Ryley on vocals, Colin Ryley and David Kupisz on the guitars, Scott DeGruyter on bass and session musician Gord Alexander on drums. “The album is mostly about government experiments, greed, and conspiracies, but also about sleep disorders because I have suffered from them since childhood and because of that it was an easy theme to write about,” commented Marlee about the band’s newborn beast.

A cryptic voice ignites the frantic opening track Hypnagogia, with Colin and David slashing their stringed axes accompanied by the thrashing beats by Gord, all of course spiced up by the demented roars by Marlee, and putting the pedal to the metal the band fires the insane Thrash Metal feast Intoxication Therapy, living up to the legacy of bands the likes of Anthrax and Toxic Holocaust with Marlee stealing the spotlight with her she-wolf screams. They keep hammering their instruments mercilessly in Experiment 77, another melodic and sick Thrash Metal aria where Colin is on fire with his guitar solos, whereas a more rhythmic start led by the rumbling bass by Scott and the fierce beats by Gord kick off the mid-tempo, darkened tune Severed, with Marlee’s growling being supported by infernal backing vocals. Following such obscure song, the band continues to invest into a NWOBHM-inspired sonority in Prisoner Of The Mind, with the guitar duel by Colin and David sounding awesome throughout the entire song.

Marlee and her henchmen keep blasting their fusion of insanity, rage and metal music in Terror Serum, a solid display of their Melodic Thrash Metal where Gord does an excellent job dictating the song’s pace with his classic beats, and get ready for a thrashing ride together with Hyperia in the form of Whitecoat, the perfect remedy for a boring day. Put differently, simply slam into the pit to the visceral screams by Marlee and be a happier person, whereas the title-track Silhouettes of Horror brings to our avid ears another round of their devilish riffs supported by the metallic bass by Scott, sounding very melodic and thrilling until the very last second. Operation Midnight is a flawless hybrid of classic Heavy Metal with Bay Area Thrash where Marlee sounds truly possessed on vocals while Colin and David deliver sheer aggression and harmony from their guitars, followed by the last original song from the album, Pleonexia, offering at the same time a more obscure side of Hyperia and their usual sonic devastation, flowing violently to the demonic beats by Gord until the very end. Finally, we’re treated to their cover version for ABBA’s classic Gimme Gimme Gimme (check out the original version HERE), and the band did a fantastic job adding their touch of evil to the music while keeping the song’s core essence intact.

If you believe you have what it takes to face the 50 minutes of the insane thrashing extravaganza crafted by Hyperia in Silhouettes of Horror, you can enjoy the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to provide those Canadian metallers  with your utmost support you can purchase the album from their own BandCamp page or from Apple Music. In addition, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, showing your love for such talented band from the Great White North. Do you believe in government experiments and conspiracy theories? Are you a diehard fan of first-class Thrash Metal? If your answer is yes to one or both of these questions, then Hyperia have exactly what’s needed to put a huge smile on your face while you raise your horns to the demented music found in their excellent new album, leaving us all eager for more of their wicked creations in the nearby future.

Best moments of the album: Intoxication Therapy, Experiment 77, Whitecoat and Operation Midnight.

Worst moments of the album: Severed.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Hypnagogia 4:17
2. Intoxication Therapy 4:38
3. Experiment 77 4:28
4. Severed 4:20
5. Prisoner Of The Mind 4:18
6. Terror Serum 4:51
7. Whitecoat 3:31
8. Silhouettes of Horror 3:54
9. Operation Midnight 4:22
10. Pleonexia 6:59
11. Gimme Gimme Gimme (ABBA cover) 4:29

Band members
Marlee Ryley – vocals
Colin Ryley – lead guitar, backing vocals
David Kupisz – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Scott DeGruyter – bass, backing vocals

Guest musician
Gord Alexander – drums (session)

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