Cairo’s Hëllridër dropped their debut full-length “Rise of The Menace” back in July, and it’s been two years in the making. After their single “Speed, Booze & Rock’n’Roll,” the band expanded from a two-piece to a four-piece: Mina George on vocals, Ayman Ibrahim on rhythm guitars and drums, Osama Muhammed on lead guitar, and Ahmed Alvah on bass (who also mixed and mastered the record). The goal was to find a sound that wasn’t just another generic black ‘n’ roll band or garage punk outfit. They pulled from Discharge, Hellhammer, early Onslaught, Bad Brains, and Motörhead to create something that sits somewhere between black metal, speed metal, and punk without fully committing to any single template. Each track uses different concentrations of those elements depending on what the atmosphere calls for. Lyrically, they cover everything from satirical topics like bad local booze to serious political commentary on Israeli apartheid and US war mongering.
The album starts with its title track, and it serves as the intro to the mayhem that shall ensue. The focus is mainly on the low ominous bass ushering in the rise of the menace, while various sounds of torture and suffering fill the sonic vista, and finally, the bell rings. Signaling that whatever ritual was taking place has been completed and that the hyena menace has come.
What follows is the band’s debut track, “Speed,Booze &Rock’N’Roll” which we have covered in full detail before. It works as the first full song of the album because it lets you know what you’re signing up for with the band’s mix of black metal and punk rock. It also continues the band’s knack for using sounds and what is called “ear candy” to paint a more vivid picture with their music.
The third track, “Demise Of Mankind” takes us on a dark turn and definitely has more of the black metal element of the band. The uniqueness here comes from the fact that the drums mostly play punk rock beats, the tonal instruments transport us to a hellish landscape, and the genre’s signature echoey, harsh vocals deliver the story.
The self-titled track is definitely the highlight of this release. As its intro introduces us to the character Hëllridër. A hyena-human hybrid who assumes the guise of a biker but is in fact way more terrifying than a mere biker. The rhythm section here does the heavy lifting. With the drums carrying on a relentless punk style groove and the bass just punching in a really aggressive tone, almost as if it represents Hëllridër itself.
The next song I wanna highlight is “Local Booze Sucks”. It has a lighter undertone to it since its lyrics are humorously attacking the bad quality of local booze. The music stays consistent with the band’s established style and doesn’t stray away from the form. Choosing to change it up lyrically instead of musically.
“Resist (The Apartheid)” takes us back to more serious topics. If you found yourself asking which apartheid, well, therein lies the problem. How has our corrupt society enabled this to happen on such a wide scale? That’s the question the band discusses in this song, and specifically in relation to the apartheid in Israel. With 3 songs on the record discussing such serious topics, the band has pushed its punk aspect further, being firmly anti-establishment and speaking out against injustices.
Finally, the band ends the record with a cover of thrash cult classic “Slaughter – Incinerator”. In my opinion, they did the original justice whilst adding their own punk style twist on it. Paying homage to one of their influences and simultaneously showcasing their style.
Rise of the Menace works because Hëllridër figured out how to be diverse without losing cohesion. They’re not trying to be Midnight or Sex Pistols; they’re carving out their own space in the black speed punk territory. They’re slowly but surely refining their style to earn their spot in that scene, and I’m excited to see what they have for us in store next.
