There are two sides for every story; in the case of what we know now as thrash metal, there are two sources from which the modern more well known sound is derived from; one is the NWOBHM sound of bands such as Iron Maiden, Def Leapard and Saxon and the other component was the early hardcore sound of the late 70’s and early 80’s; and that sound is what’s important when you listen to Seizure Crypt. Some call these outfit a crossover band, because of the use of what might sound like thrash metal riffs; but if you look at history closely, you’ll realize that punk hardcore cannot really be considered crossover, those catchy short riffs and the aggressive, furious, raw vocal work was not first invented by thrash bands it was put forward by bands such as Discharge, Minor Threat and Black Flag, among other early hardcore bands…so Seizure Crypt is not a crossover between hardcore and thrash, is just plain good old hardcore, sadly the album is not that good.

Running the risk of getting involved in an area which I don’t have enough experience dealing with (hardcore that is), I will have to describe this album as promising but awkward; awkward when the band tries to mix rap segments that just end up sounding forced and sometimes plain amateur like in “Herein the Problem Lies” a song full of breakdowns and rap vocals that just get you off the mood to continue listening to the rest of the production.

Non the less “Hello, My name is…” does achieve that raw, “do it yourself” scheme, thanks to the production and the artwork used on it, so the idea and meaning of what hardcore in its early stages used to mean is still alive in these guys minds. The music is short and to the point, almost inexistent musical arrangements and recording “tricks” make the album sound sincere and violent, but the songs are just not as great and memorable as one could have wished for. Aside from a couple of guitar solos at the end of the record, Seizure Crypt has very little pleasant surprises; and believe me they needed at least one of those after the terrible “rap” experiment on track 4.

If you like to relive some of the early 80’s hardcore sound, maybe learn a little bit more about the movement, get a Minor Threat or a Black Flag record, but if you find fascinating any type of rock, punk or metal band that is unconventional yet simplistic, you should give this a try.