Gathering in procession readied to reveal their metanalyses of the too-far gone catastrophe that is humanity beneath a thousand layers of reactionary control Melbourne, Australia-based thrash metal quartet HARLOTT detail mass derangement by misinformation among several other catalyst for the stymied, suicidal state of the species. In taking several years to manifest this fifth full-length album from the band, ‘Exsequiis‘, stands out in their discography as a well-rounded product of steady evolution wherein they’ve upheld their throttled, classics-minded signature while taking on more ambitious melodic ideas. This reads less as a compromise and moreso a reasonable bout of change centered around songcraft in the spirit of late 80’s/early 90’s and constructs.

Harlott formed by way of a few high schoolers back in 2006, arguably the peaking high of the neothrash movement’s first major wave, but from what I gather their thrash metal direction didn’t arrive immediately. A duo of EP releases (‘Virus‘, 2010) b/w (‘None‘, 2011) would see guitarist/vocalist Andy Hudson (ex-Desecrator) penning most all of their material up front including the debut LP (‘Origin‘, 2012) to follow. Their style ‘ready bore most of its enduring signature where the aggression of Slayer, Kreator and peak Bay Area showmanship coalesced into the sort of ranting thrash you’d find in the late 80’s/early 90’s without dipping into extremist or arena-sized values. Back in the day I’d appreciated the sheer attack of that debut but they’d reached more notable gloss and power drill pace on their Metal Blade debut ‘Proliferation‘ (2015). In an increasingly sparse field for stage-viable thrash their persistence steadily began to stand out for its “Dittohead”-level push and brilliant consistency, a band I’d put up in support of a big Testament show and a step above the post-millennial thrash-craft of a band like Warbringer.

Fist deep into the pandemic Harlott‘d released their fourth LP (‘Detritus of the Final Age‘, 2020) and while it wasn’t a “melodic” thrash record outright they’d obviously been pushing far as they could into different types of songwriting and pacing beyond the balls out rip of earlier neothrash era head-charging. It offers an interesting cap upon a full discography revisit as the style and voice of the band are crystal clear but their wheelhouse brutally slow to expand, positioning ‘Exsequiis‘ as a likely familiar stone from their well-scraped quarry. Sure, that turns out to be true on some level as the hi-fi production values and shouted screed of Hudson include further tread within the modern standard upheld by their old aforementioned heroes (re: “The God that Knows No Name”, “The Joyful Stain”). Most thrash metal fans will be less stuck on the tuneful side of things outright and otherwise stoked on the cutting opening moments of the experience.

Paired with intro “Incipiam” opener “Void” offers the big shove up front, an electrified and dramatic pull-in from a band who’ve always excelled in creating havoc on Side A. No doubt ‘Exsequiis‘ eventually stretches the horizon for Harlott beyond their efforts on ‘Detritus of the Final Age‘ but to start they tear through three of the most insurgent pieces included. “Void” was the clincher for me off the rip between the punch of riffing up front, the clang of the bass guitar from below, and Hudson‘s bark creating a total effect that hits a bit like “Into the Asylum”-era Lȧȧz Rockit in motion before veering into its shredding and jogging exit. “Messiah Simplex” and “Trial by Liar” are no less aggressive with a few hints of extreme metal guitar techniques and wild leads interspersed, acting as the force and momentum up front.

Side B surprises a bit as Harlott‘ve put in the work curating a steadily expanding running order, placing a few catchier and ambitious boundary pushers to kick off the second half via “A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits”, leading stomper “The Joyful Strain” and the crew-sung melodic choruses of “Vice Borne”. Granted the boundaries being pushed are offerings to the popular thrash metal spectrum, aiming for big hooks and (again) Bay Area stoked pomp and dramatism with “Endling” providing the most complete scratch through these ideas and the aforementioned “A Still More…” being the best. This constitutes a substantial change for the band considering the strictures they’d operated within per their first three LPs but makes sense in continuation of the musical ideas explored via ‘Detritus…‘.

Though it doesn’t line up precisely with my interest in the limitless realm of thrash metal Harlott‘s enduring intimacy with the classics ensures easy entry for all but the true underground thrash luddite. With this new album their gradual evolution seems to be trending towards substantive changes without losing the furor they’re best known for and this is a solid, just bold enough prospect considering they’ve several similar albums under belt; ‘Exsequiis‘ is laid out with its thunder up front and gradual melodic reveal after which’ll give the riff-hungry passersby what they want outright and carry some greater depth of imagination within the total path, a well-rounded experience to sink into beyond the adrenaline shot it starts with. A moderately high recommendation.

---