Heterogeneous Andead – Chaotic Fragments

Share this on Facebook | Share this on Twitter

HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD hailing from Tokyo, Japan were formed in 2013 by Yusuke Kiyama. They are a symphonic Death and Thrash Metal band. So far, they released one EP, they had several compilation appearances, and “Chaotic Fragments” is their second full-length album. The album was mixed and mastered by Yusuke Kiyama. It has a length of about 51 minutes and was released via Italian label WormHoleDeath, which are specialized in Death, Thrash, and Black Metal.

Five years after their very much acclaimed debut album “Deus Ex Machina”, HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD are back with their second full-length release. The work on the new album started already in 2019, however, progress was hampered by changes in the line-up of the band. Conceptually, the album follows the path of the debut album, but with more focus on melodies and synthesizer elements.

The album starts with “The Void Sacrifice” and it shows the direction of the next 50+ minutes to come: insane speed, old school Thrash Metal guitar riffing, relentless drumming, a mix of brutal growling at the low end of the guttural range and mezzo-soprano vocals often with very abrupt switches, lead guitar solos in best Thrash Metal tradition, and added symphonic and electronic elements. The symphonic and electronic elements often act as a counterpoint. Highlight of “The Void Sacrifice” is the frantic lead guitar solo.

“Fragments Of Memories” is even faster than the opener and it starts with a mix of guitars and keyboard with an industrial inspired part. While the first two minutes of the track are an instrumental pre-lude, the following riff is SLAYER inspired and could easily be added on the “Reign In Blood” album. The SLAYER vibes quickly fade out when the electronic effects kick in and when Haruka switches to her operatic vocals. The electronic additions are often in disharmony to the melodies and rhythm. The lead guitar solo is simply stunning, something, Kerry King would have been proud of. “Fragments Of Memories” shows the whole range and the complexity of the HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD sound. It is not a direct Metal sound at all, it has twists, distortion, and disharmonies. The song is the official lyric video and the YouTube link is given below.

“Last Reveries” continues with the madness and with another SLAYER-esque lead guitar solo. Key feature of the track are the switches from the Death/Thrash sound with the dark riffing and the low growls to the symphonic Metal parts. “Last Reveries” does not include very distinct electronic effects, it is more a mix of Thrash and symphonic Metal. HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD do not make a break, the whole album is a pummeling and so is “Beautiful Nightmare”. The song is driven by the melodies and the speed, but it comes with a rare mid-tempo break that introduces the lead guitar solo. However, the mid-tempo is only maintained for a short while and the lead guitar solo unfolds at blistering pace. The keyboards are a bit more dominant throughout the track and contribute to the disharmonies.

“Fission” has a lot of complex textures, it is not the direct Thrash Metal at its base, there are a lot of twists and turns in rhythm and the melodies and it is more focused on symphonic and electronic additions. “Mirror Of The Lie” and “Regrettable” go back to the well-tried concept: flesh-ripping Thrash Metal riffing combined with disharmonic keyboard additions. The vocals follow clear patterns: while the verse parts are typically low growls, the chorus parts are the operatic vocals. Highlight of “Mirror Of The Lie” is again the insane lead guitar solo. The album closes with “Licking” and HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD go out with a bang! After a grim instrumental start, the Thrash Metal onslaught continues with more dominant keyboard parts included. The Thrash riffing and the drumming drive the track forward alongside the growling. As before, there is a clean separation between the growling and the operatic parts. While the first lead guitar solo has more melodeath elements, the second solo is more Thrash oriented. The eight minutes journey is a great way to end the album.

It took five years to complete the new album, but it was worth the wait. HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD release an excellent album. “Chaotic Fragments” is not a mainstream album, either you dig it or not. It is a Thrash Metal album, but with plenty of elements from different genres added. HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD have developed a very unique sound and they play that sound at a very high quality. That is their biggest asset. The band has improved in every department, but in particular the songwriting has become much more mature. The album is well produced. “Chaotic Fragments” is a very special album. Thrash and Death Metal fans who are open to experimental sound elements will love what they hear.


Songwriting: 9
Musicianship: 9
Memorability: 9
Production: 8