EP Review: Hostilia - Atomic Thunder
Reviewed by Lana Teramae
Hostilia are a young thrash metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden that was founded by brothers Albert and William Lindeblad in fall 2021. By the end of the year, they released their first single 'Power Out'. They released a follow-up single 'Downtown Showdown' in 2022. Both singles earned rave reviews from people in the metal community and Hostilia quickly gained an international fanbase. Apparently, age is just a number in their book.
The band will release their first EP titled ‘Atomic Thunder’ on June 30, 2023. The lineup that plays on the EP includes William on lead guitar, Gabriel Sepúlveda on bass guitar, Albert on drums, and Samuel Alnesten Alvarez on lead vocals. Alvarez is the cousin of Albert and William; the lead vocalist position for Hostilia is still vacant. According to the press release, ‘Atomic Thunder’ was recorded in three days at Nacksving Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Except for track number three, which is simply titled 'Interlude', these songs are old-school thrash metal with some punk rock elements in there. First of all, the members of Hostilia have that punk rock attitude of not caring what people think, so there’s that. The production isn’t the cleanest; it lies in the middle of modern production and ‘80s metal production. Also, Alvarez’s voice resembles Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead. Some people think that Motörhead were never a punk rock band, but songs like 'Ace of Spades' say otherwise.
The oddball of the EP would have to be 'Interlude'. It feels weird going from two headbangers like the title track and 'Let Off Some Steam' to a random acoustic bit. Thankfully, track number four, 'Final Breath', closes the EP on a fitting note. That track is pure old-school thrash metal.
Overall, ‘Atomic Thunder’ isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s decent for what it is. The members of Hostilia are really talented, especially William, who does some excellent solos on the EP. However, the songs, except for 'Interlude', don’t sound any different from what’s on an ‘80s thrash metal album from back in the day. The songwriting is generic, and that’s where the guys’ age really shows on the EP. ‘Atomic Thunder’ is a fun listen for drinking beer and having a good time, but nothing more than that.
