Spain’s Hitten are back in response to their 2018 release ‘Twist of Fate’, that was a truly great album, so it’s with great excitement we now have ‘Triumph & Tragedy’, their fourth album.
The album was recorded in numerous countries, a sign of the current times, it’s also the second release with vocalist Alexx Panza, who has really grown much more on this album. On the former release, there was a melodic stance introduced, here it’s much more prominent overall, especially those amazing vocals. Sometimes the tracks take me back to my youth when I was listening to the likes of Leatherwolf, Firehouse, Hittman and White Lion. Hitten have captured a big American sound and they pack a punch also with rousing chorus’, such as those on both ‘Hard Intentions (Secret Dancer)’ and ‘Under Your Spell’. The latter having some great harmonies.
The flavour of the album is warmth, with as mentioned it has strong melodies and accomplished arrangements. The album cover may remind some of Autograph’s second album ‘That’s the Stuff’ (with the futuristic figure front and centre) and I suppose that big production as mentioned earlier is a major characteristic. The title track is lengthy and stands out in a different way to the rest of the release, on the whole it’s very consistent. There are a couple of other big hitters to take note of in the form of ‘Eyes Never Lie’ and the darker ‘Meant to be Mean’. All the assembled quality components, including a big production ensure this is at the next level and truly ready to take on the big hitter of the scene. A step forward for the band, but I still personally prefer the former release!
Overall, this is more a triumph than a tragedy for Hitten, who have grown over the last couple of releases and now are in a position to make more of a worldwide impact above the underground. This is an album that’s quite memorable after little time spent listening, a stellar melodic metal release holding on to the traditional metal hallmarks of former releases, with a big nod to a classic American sound.
(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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