Hagzissa first emerged out of Austria with a strange and feral identity, a band wandering in their own corner of black metal. Their debut “They Ride Along” gave them a strong start, then they vanished from sight for years. The silence clearly did not mean inactivity, because “Revelry Of A Maltreated Jade” returns with the group shifting personnel, carrying one member out and welcoming another in, and still arriving with their crooked energy fully alive.
This EP keeps Hagzissa’s wild heart beating. The sound remains raw in spirit, shaped with that crooked fairytale aura the band always enjoyed. The riffs twist in unpredictable ways, the vocals scrape along like gravel, and the atmosphere hovers somewhere between medieval nightmare and roadside fire. There is an unhinged spark in the writing, a constant pull into strange corners, as if the band enjoys leaning toward madness without falling into chaos. The influence of traditional heavy metal is woven inside the blackened core, giving the songs a mischievous swagger that suits them well.
Across
these tracks the band shows a renewed hunger. The guitars have a restless
character, shifting colours often, and the drums strike with a loose but
energetic drive. The vocals remain feral and theatrical, adding personality
without drifting into parody. Hagzissa seems
to move with more confidence this time, as if the long break and the change in
lineup have sharpened their edges. The EP has an earthy charm, something
handmade and rugged, produced with enough rawness to retain its bite while
still allowing the melodies to rise through the smoke.
“Revelry Of
A Maltreated Jade” may not be a grand statement, although it works well as a
return from hibernation. Hagzissa sounds
like a band that survived a storm and came back with pockets full of cursed
treasures. The EP leaves a strong impression, even if it stops before showing
everything the band might be capable of in the future. It is a solid offering
with a vivid personality, the kind of short release that keeps the listener
curious about what the next step will bring.
Score: 7.0
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