Band:	Hyban Draco
Album:	Dead Are Not Silent
Style:	Melodic black metal, Death metal
Release date:	2011

01. Angel's Nightmare
02. The Star That Lights The Lake
03. Victorious Betrayal
04. Moons Crust
05. Infernal Glory
06. The Soul That Wonders Around The Universe
07. Supernatural Invocation
08. Dead Are Not Silent
09. God Of Darkness
10. Spirit Lost Shade

If Hyban Draco, a Spanish black metal band, were to go fisticuffs with, say, the Dissection of the early 90s and the Watain of today, I'd casually and confidently toss all my money down on? well, probably on Watain. But Hyban Draco, with this release, has proved that they belong with the big dogs of melodic (or melodic-ish, if you're going to be a dick about it) black. It's first-rate stuff they've put out here.

So the album title has got an occultist, spiritual sound to it. You know, supernatural garbage stuff. That isn't reflected much in the music, though. Hyban plays stuff to mosh to?melodic black metal with a healthy amount of breakneck thrash. For the sheer amount of melody on this thing, the overall impression it makes is surprisingly mean sounding and aggressive. And I like it.

Yeah, nothing here is very original, but that doesn't matter much when a band is skilled. Hyban Draco, an unsigned band, sound professional. Like the CEO of Vikernes Fire Insurance professional. The songwriting, the production, and the tunes are all tight. The hooks are tight. The vocals are robust. And tight. Dead Are Not Silent sounds like it could be an album from a band nearly twice the age of the dudes in Hyban. And I mean that as a compliment. They play together all tight like.

The only weak moments on this are when Hyban slows down and attempts to get atmospheric. Which is just unnecessary on this. But that's just a minor gripe, really. They don't try it with any real frequency.

Of course, this won't arouse philosophic, poetic moods. Nor will it put you in a trance. Nor will it make you want to go grind on blackberry bushes and yelp in the briars. It's not that kind of black metal. Are Not is an album to drink and trash Travelodge rooms to. And that's ultimately what I want 90 percent of the time when I put music on. If that's not what you want from black metal, I understand, but it works really well here.

So I'll close with a message to the record company higher-ups and scouts who're definitely reading this: sign this fucking band already. There'd be no danger in it. They do what successful melodic black metal bands do, and do it better than most. Period.