EP Review: Hyperdriver-X - Rise (Guest feature by Ilya Yclept)

Picture Credit: Hyperdriver-X

Hyperdriver-X - Rise
Release Date: August 07, 2021
Label: selfrelease
Format: Digital
Length: 20:50
Genre: Alternative Metal / Nu Metal
Origin: Hartford, CT, USA

A new EP RISE from an alternative metal band Hyperdriver-X has been released. While the artwork and the “straight out of anime” name suggest something sci-fi and futuristic, the presented material is surely a blast from the past. But let’s get deeper into it.


The Connecticut based Hyperdriver-X is a four-piece exploring the heritage of any school band formed around the end of 90s. The band voices the mission of representing the connection between the spanish and english speaking rock communities, and their weapon is a nostalgic brand of alternative metal. The overall vibe resurrects the edginess of the first Korn and Deftones releases, the amateur side of SOAD and Mudvayne. What do I mean? Imagine that crunchy bass sound, the vocals follow the familiar “beauty-and-the-beast” scheme when the clean singing (lots of it) is followed by screaming, and the guitar tone is exactly what you expect from the early 2000 almetal worship. The EP production quality is a bit inconsistent, as guitars are drowned too deep in the mix, while the drums and bass duo turns to mess at times. 

While the band demonstrates that naive charm and might hit the spot for boomers who grew up listening to ill Nino, the band is struggling to put up actual catchy songs. The EP is one persistent exercise in riffage and teenage angst, seasoned with a sample or two. Well, it was nice to hear the reimagined “Breaking The Law” riff in “RISE”. 

EP provides some niche entertainment and demonstrates that the band is developing the well-known strain of a genre we least expected to resurface in 2021. Must be exactly what the scene needs now - raw, energetic and familiar.

This guest feature was written by Ilya Yclept

Music from every post will stay in the MangoRotation playlist for 14 days.

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