(written by Islander)
We have a hell of a good story to share with you, one that’s probably well-known in the environs of Gothenburg, Sweden, but probably less well-known elsewhere, including here in North America. It’s the kind of story which reminds us that some of today’s best-known and most influential metal bands first seized attention decades ago as teenagers.
And, in addition to a hell of a good story, we’re also sharing one hell of a good song and video that features the young Gothenburg-based thrashers Hostilia.
First, here’s the story:
When the Gothenburg bar ‘2112’ (owned by members of In Flames / The Halo Effect) threw a party they handpicked Hostilia (a band first formed by the brothers Albert and William Lindeblad in the fall of 2021) as the highlight of the evening.
One of the party guests was Jakob Herrmann, the owner of Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, whose resume as a producer includes working with bands like Anthrax, In Flames, Europe, Machine Head, Raised Fist, Dark Tranquillity, and Devin Townsend. He was very impressed by Hostilia, and very intrigued by them as well. As described to us:
He was only there to party really, but walked home puzzled by the tight performance and the great songs. Jakob was in fact so eager to get rid of his curiosity that he offered Hostilia to record some songs in his studio. For free.
To put his initial positive gut feeling to the test, he decided to record the band without safety nets: All of the members in the same room. No overdubs. No click track. No saves or fixes of any kind – a scrutiny so revealing that many established bands would have turned the offer down.
Hostilia wisely didn’t turn down the challenge, despite its risks. Under those conditions, they recorded three songs with Herrmann live at Top Floor Studios — while being filmed doing so — and then he mixed the music.
Those songs will now be released on December 13th by Gruesome Records on an EP named All the Blood Spilt – The Top Floor Live Sessions. The EP also includes a remixed version of “Let Off Some Steam” taken from Hostilia‘s previous EP and an exclusive live recording of Iron Maiden‘s classic song “Wrathchild“.
But that’s not quite the end of the story. We need to include the reactions of Jakob Herrmann and a few other people whose names you’ll recognize:
“It’s common that artists expect the engineer or the producer to bring the magic. Sure, a lot can be done nowadays. But that special ‘something’ has to come from within the artist. Watching HOSTILIA nail track after track in the studio with cameras adding to the pressure made was remarkable. That kind of honest youthful energy is impossible to imitate. It’s a rare gift and it’s obvious HOSTILIA’s got it.” – Jakob Herrmann
“To see Hostilia rip live in the studio is really refreshing in today’s climate of overproduced metal, where everybody sounds the same. It’s rare for a young band to have so much unique identity. Truly impressive! These guys will go far, AND they deserve it!” – Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates)
“Check out Hostilia and headbang along to the next generation of Thrashers!” – Kragen Lum (Heathen)
“Prepare for a Thrash attack from young and hungry Hostilia. Steeped in old-school sounds and with an attitude to match, this is just what lovers of the genre need.” – Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity)
Good story, huh? Are you now ready for the video of one of those songs that Hostilia recorded at Top Floor?
Many bands, including seasoned ones, would have a tough time bringing the energy and intensity they desire in a live show if they were performing in a studio before a small group of quiet observers instead of a raucous crowd whose energy they could feed on. Then add the fact that a case of nerves would be documented on film and audio, along with any mistakes (and no second chances to fix them), and it’s an even more challenging situation.
Which makes the video you’re about to see especially impressive. Hostilia bring a lot of hard-charging energy to the music and a wildness of spirit, but they also sound locked-in, and the editing of the shots from multiple angles gives us excellent views of all the moving parts and how they connect.
Apart from the visuals, the song itself is hell on wheels — fast, fiery, muscle-moving, ferocious. The riffing feverishly cuts, viciously stabs, and goes off like the pulse of air-raid sirens. The rhythm section further fuel the song with a hard-hitting, pulse-pounding drive. And the fleet-fingered soloing adds extra adrenaline (and glory) to a song that’s already packed with it.
Thankfully, the vocals are also ferocious and full of fire, a panoply of wild howls and gritty snarls that come for the throat like the attack of a ravenous wolf, and a long, spine-tingling scream at the end.
To top it off (pun intended), the production brings razor-edged clarity and head-butting punch in a way that channels the energy with power.
Well, maybe the stars aligned for Hostilia at Top Floor in a way they often don’t? Yet we also have another Hostilia video which suggests the stars align routinely for this band when they perform.
Here’s a film of them playing “Eternal Death” live at Gothenburg Metal Massacre on February 3rd of this year (that’s another one of the songs they performed at Top Floor that’s on the new EP). This time they’ve got a crowd to feed off of.
HOSTILIA Line-Up at Top Floor:
Tim Angelini – Vocals
William Lindeblad – Lead guitar
Petter Hernroth – Guitar
Gabriel Sepúlveda – Bass
Albert Lindeblad – Drums
(Top Floor session guitarist Walter Hamilton.)
As noted above, the live cuts on the new Hostilia EP were produced and mixed by Jakob Herrmann, and they were mastered by Johan Reivén (Audiolord Mastering). The excellent video we’ve premiered was produced by PA Nilsson. To order the EP, and for more info, check the links below.
We’re also happy to report that Hostilia are currently in the studio recording their debut album.
PRE-ORDER THE EP:
https://gruesomerecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-blood-spilt-ep-the-top-floor-live-sessions-2024
HOSTILIA – Listen:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IV92WPQOj8IPukzAzdx5c
Bandcamp: https://hostiliathrash.bandcamp.com/
HOSTILIA – Follow:
https://www.facebook.com/hostiliathrash
https://www.instagram.com/hostilia_thrash
https://app.bandbond.com/band/2504