If there's anything harder than being a band trying put out a record, it's putting out another record for the second time AND having to change your band's name. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place proved to be no road block for the band formerly known as Receptor. While others may have seen this as a set back, the New York City based band saw this as an opportunity. Under their new name-Hybrid Dawn, the group continues to serve up their signature "balls-in-your-face-rock" as well as some new tricks up their sleeves in their long awaited full length album Kill The Messenger.

From practices at the rehearsal studio to the recording booth at Apple Rock Studios(HD's Eric Applegate is the mastermind engineer/mixer behind the album),and later seeing their newest songs performed live on stage, it has been a treat to see the makings of Hybrid Dawn's newest album from the beginning stages to the final product.

Kill The Messenger consists of ten tracks of their good old heavy rock groove with a mix of some softer melodic tunes. Expect gritty hard rock with tracks like "Things I Say" and "My Innocent" as well as intricate and sophisticated lyrics in songs like "Silence In Rewind" and "Speaking In Voices". This album truly showcases a variety of the band's talents.  

When it comes to completing a second album, the question in hand is always "Can it be better than the first?" Although most fail or barely make it to those standards, Kill The Messenger has managed to even exceed my highest expectations. Any band can put out as many CDs as their heart desires, but it takes a great band to grow as a group and as individuals from album to album. Hybrid Dawn's newest album is bound to intrigue the mind and ears. Certainly an album worth the wait.