Hyperdialect
Hyperdialect is strongest when Hacktivist let the rap and guitars hold a real conversation. J Hurley and Jot Maxi exchange fast lines over riffs that hit hard but also leave room for movement. The band use more electronic colour and melodic guitar parts than a simple description of grime plus djent suggests. Those added possibilities make this second album more interesting.
Lifeform shows the exchange between the two voices clearly. The pace of the words fits the precise backing and gives the music a strong forward movement. Turning The Tables takes another route, using electronic sounds and a beat that brings the grime influence forward. When the guitars join in, the transition feels like part of the song.
Kid Bookie appears on Armoured Core. Its bouncing groove and more prominent lead guitar make it one of the more accessible pieces. The band gain colour as well as weight. The title track raises the tension further, helped by Aaron Matts's contribution. His guest voice makes the outburst larger without pushing the regular vocalists into the background.
Not every side of the album connects equally well. The lyrics move between social anger, personal boasting and large, almost apocalyptic images. This can leave the record without a clear direction. Some of the heavy guitar foundations are also more familiar than their electronic surroundings initially suggest.
Still, Hyperdialect finds enough new possibilities within the formula. Dogs of War and the rapid vocal exchanges keep the energy high. Its strength lies less in creating a completely new genre than in making the individual elements work better together. Hacktivist are convincing when the voices, riffs and electronic rhythms help one another move forward. That happens often enough here to give the album a real sense of progress, even when its wider message becomes less focused.
