Band Biographies: HAZZERD

Hailing from the Great White North, the thrash quartet HAZZERD was initially formed by drummer/lead vocalist Dylan 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 Andrei Bouzikov (Skeletonwitch, Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust), 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.”

2019 saw HAZZERD catch 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. Soon after, the band entered Calgary's MCC Recording Studio to record their sophomore effort, “Delirium.”

Once again featuring artwork by Bouzikov, the album was mixed and mastered by Johnny Gasparic (Into Eternity). In late 2019, the band unveiled the first taste of “Delirium” on Ross The Boss' Gimme Radio program, where the album's first single, “A Tormented Reality,” received its world premiere. A lyric video subsequently premiered on Metal Injection, who called the song “rip-roaring” and said it “leaves absolutely no survivors in its wake.” Several weeks later, BraveWords.com unveiled a second new track, “Victim of a Desperate Mind.”

In recent years, HAZZERD has performed alongside the likes of Hatchet, Striker, Vicious Rumors, Archspire, Spellcaster, and Grim Reaper in addition to playing noted Canadian festivals such as Loud As Hell and Armstrong MetalFest. Look for the Canadian quartet to spend much of 2020 and beyond on the road, leaving a trail of sore necks in their wake. www.facebook.com/HazzerdThrash