HAZZERD is (left to right):
Toryin Schadlich: Guitars
Dylan Westendorp: Drums/Lead Vocals
David Sprague: Bass
Brendan Malycky: Guitars
December 9, 2019 – Los Angeles, CA - The Calgary-based thrash group HAZZERD – whose sophomore album, “Delirium,” will be released Jan. 24 via M-Theory Audio – have unveiled a lyric video for their blistering new song “Victim Of A Desperate Mind.” The clip – which was designed by Rafael Ortega of Ecliptic Visions, and which premiered via
BraveWords.com – can be seen at this location:
“Victim Of A Desperate Mind” is also now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and other digital platforms. In addition, the song is one of two “instant grat” downloads that are included with digital pre-orders of “Delirium.” Physical pre-orders on CD, cassette and limited-edition colored vinyl can be reserved at
www.smarturl.it/hazzerd .
Says drummer Dylan Westendorp, “'Victim Of A Desperate Mind' is one of the longer cuts on 'Delirium,' and it has some of the album's darker lyrical content. The song revolves around the topics of addiction, depression and suicide, issues that are unfortunately very real in today’s society. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person who is trapped in their own mind and stuck with their dark thoughts. Even though these are not the most positive lyrics, we have hope that someone who is going through this type of situation will hear them, relate and realize that they are not alone. Musically, 'Victim' is one of the more complex songs we have written to date. Overall, we feel it's the best song to unveil as the second taste of our upcoming record.”
Last month, HAZZERD premiered “A Tormented Reality,” the first preview track from “Delirium,” via Ross The Boss' Gimme Radio program. A lyric video subsequently premiered on Metal Injection, who called the song “rip-roaring” and said it “leaves absolutely no survivors in its wake.” A third preview track from “Delirium” – which was mixed and mastered by Johnny Gasparic (Into Eternity) and features cover artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Toxic Holocaust) – will be unveiled in January.
HAZZERD was initially formed by drummer/lead vocalist 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 Bouzikov, 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.”
This year, HAZZERD caught the attention of M-Theory Audio after being featured on Gimme Radio, where Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine championed the group as a promising thrash hopeful. He also included the band on his personal list of record collection picks, where HAZZERD were one of only two up-and-coming artists (the other being Power Trip) listed.
In recent years, HAZZERD has performed alongside the likes of Striker, Vicious Rumors, Archspire, Spellcaster, and Grim Reaper in addition to playing noted Canadian festivals such as Loud As Hell and Armstrong MetalFest. Lately, the group completed a successful string of shows across Canada supporting Hatchet. For more information, visit
www.facebook.com/HazzerdThrash .
HAZZERD live:
1/24 Calgary, AB – Dickens (record release show)
1/31 Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room
5/26 Calgary, AB – Dickens (w/ Flotsam and Jetsam)