Hiraes are a new band in the field, but with members who have the necessary experience on them. They consist of the 4/5 of the melodic deathsters Dawn Of Disease (disbanded from 2020), with the vocals being taken over by Britta Görtz, a founding member of the also disbanded from 2018 death/thrashers Cripper. “Solitary” is the first release of the Germans, one year after the beginning of their journey.
As for the musical direction of Hiraes? I do not know if they are related to the works of Dawn Of Disease (they certainly are not with Cripper), but their modern melodic death metal reminded me a lot of that of Arch Enemy in its structure. But I would not say that they copy them, since their excellent melodies go quite a bit towards Finland and bring to mind bands like Before The Dawn and Omnium Gatherum. The keyboards that are present throughout the disk in the background also help a lot in building this atmosphere.
The songs move either at a fast speed or at a more mid-tempo style, lasting around five minutes, which is perfect to keep the listener from getting tired. A great advantage is that they do just as well on both the extreme and the slower and more atmospheric side. This makes the album not sounding monotonous, while at the same time keeping the interest as Hiraes paid attention to the correct songwriting process. In terms of technique, the band does a great job, while Britta is the star of the show with her exceptional growls.
In general, the debut of Hiraes is a very good proposal for the fans of melodic death metal and specifically of Arch Enemy and Finland’s melancholic scene. Something that is also suggested by the name of the band, which comes from the Welsh word hiraeth which means nostalgia. Personally, I will try ang get it in physical form for my collection and I will watch them closely for what else they have to offer us in the future.
