The Canadian thrash quartet HAZZERD has signed with M-Theory Audio, who will release the group’s second album, Delirium, in early 2020. A short teaser can be seen below.
“HAZZERD came to my attention via MEGADETH’s Dave Mustaine, who championed the young thrashers on his Gimme Radio show,” explains M-Theory’s Marco Barbieri. “I loved the energy and immediacy of the band’s music. I later saw that Dave even included them on his personal record collection picks, and aside from a plentitude of rock, metal and punk classics, HAZZERD was the only new band alongside Power Trip to make the list.
HAZZERD was initially formed by drummer/lead vocalist Dylan Westendorp and guitarist Brendan Malycky, two Calgary teens who were inspired by the early work of thrash legends such as OVERKILL, METALLICA and ANTHRAX. The group self-released their debut EP, Victimize The Innocent, in 2014. The following year, the band recruited then-18-year-old lead guitarist Toryin Schadlich.
In 2017, soon after solidifying the group’s lineup with the addition of bassist David Sprague, HAZZERD recorded their full-length debut, Misleading Evil, which was released via Canada’s World War Now Records. Featuring cover art by Andrei Bouzikov (SKELETONWITCH, MUNICIPAL WASTE), the record was praised by Metal-Temple.com as “one of the strongest thrash releases of 2017,” while Dead Rhetoric called the album “an exhilarating aural ride” with a “Maiden/Priest-meets-early Metallica vibe.”
HAZZERD is currently putting the finishing touches on Delirium, which was recorded at Calgary’s MCC Recording Studio and mixed and mastered by Johnny Gasparic (INTO ETERNITY). Bouzikov will once again provide the cover artwork. Additional information on the album will be revealed in the near future.
“We are absolutely stoked to announce our signing with M-Theory,” says Westendorp. “The reason our second album has been taking so long to come to fruition is because we wanted to make sure we found the right team and label to help us bring this next record to you all, and we feel that with M-Theory behind us, we can reach even more people with our music. Look for more news regarding the new album within the next few weeks!”
