Hailing all the way from Oshawa, ON, comes Hail the Villain, a four-piece band that’s bound and determined to take over the rock world! The band consists of Bryan Crouch (vocals), Joseph Stamp (guitar), Chad Taylor (bass), and Drew Dockrill (drums). Having never heard of these guys prior to being handed their cd to review, I really had no idea what to expect. So, did they rock my speakers or what?

Abso-freakin’-lutely they rocked my speakers! This is hard rock in its highest octane and purest form. It should be noted that this album is pretty radio friendly, but that’s definitely not a bad thing. I know that some people out there might be turned off by that label, but for music fans that just want a heavy dose of rock n’ roll, Hail the Villain should be welcomed with open arms.

The album starts off with the stomping “Take Back the Fear.” From the get-go, I was more than pleased with what came blasting out of my speakers. The track begins with a nasty guitar riff, a few beats from a bass drum and some seriously aggressive vocals to instantly get your attention. With such a great opening track, I just knew that this album was going to seriously rock.

While I’m on the subject, not only is the first track memorable, but the whole album is just extremely infectious. From the catchy but aggressive guitar riffs, to the addictive vocals and lyrics, I found myself singing and humming along in no time. Production wise, each song is carefully crafted and well put together just adding to the album’s mystique. As stated earlier, there’s no reason this album shouldn’t be spinning right now on rock stations across the globe.

The second track on the album, titled “My Reward,” opens with fierce guitar riffs and top notch percussion work. With Hail The Villian’s top notch songwriting, this song (as well as others) has the potential to be an instant hit. This song solidified my opinion that Hail the Villain is a top-notch, heavy-hitting and hard-working rock band at its finest.

Some of my favorite tracks on the album include, “16 Cradles,” which caught my attention with its take no prisoners in-your-face riffing and incredibly catchy choruses. Another cool thing is the very Queens of the Stone Age sounding breakdown toward the end of the song. “Glad To Be” has a very cool groove that sounds like it could have been on any Three Days Grace album. Mix that with an incredible chorus that is just absolutely full of hooks and you have a winner. “Swan Dive Suicide” is a dark, brooding song full of southern style grooves and loads of emotion. With so many upbeat “rockers” on the album, it really makes for a nice break in the action. Honestly, who am I kidding, this section of the review is a waste of time because every song on this album totally rocks.

Overall, this is a solid debut from these talented and very versatile boys from north of the border. Loaded with twelve all-out hard rockin’ tracks, Population: Declining is going to put Hail the Villain at the top of the rock world’s charts.

4.5/5