www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone / Dj Astro, 02.01.2012

Hittegods - Let It Burn

Self-released CD-EP

First of all, I really could congratulate the Helsinki-based Hittegods for resilience since this is already a third self-released CD-EP they have sent me even though I haven't actually praised their earlier output. All in all, they have squeezed out as many as five this kind of little releases. The band idolizes 70's and 80's hard rock and metal and their classic rock sound has been tightened up and polished along the years and I must say that their latest out-put is actually pretty cool stuff. The trio plays together really well and the singing/pronunciation has also improved even though it's not still perfect. The EP has four hard rocking and straight-forward original songs and the opener "Supernatural Man" somehow brings to mind even The Aliens era Roky Erickson. There's also some stoner/street rock vibe in there. Possibly my favorite! Another tight and energetic rocker is the boogie styled "Fool for Rock" that also has nice backing vocals. "When the Money Starts Rollin' In" is a bit lighter rock tune that doesn't really do it for me and the same goes for the more traditional hard rock'n'roll piece "Let It Burn". I guess I should also try to catch this band live one of these days since I bet they will rock.

www.metalliville.co.uk / Glenn Milligan

Hittegods - Let It Burn

A 4 track EP from a band who come from Helsinki. It's cheesy stuff and old school hard rock stuff of a good quality though and they don't let their own accents get lost in the music either and try and sound too American or English.

Highlights overall from the CD is the second song 'Fool For Rock' with its almost 'Tie Your Mother Down' rip-off riff and the opening 'Supernatural Man'.

Decent OK stuff.

7/10

www.thesleepingshaman.com / Ollie Stygall

Hittegods 'Let It Burn' CD 2011

Hmm...ah...um...ok...this is awkward!!!! When a band seem so in love with rock and roll and claim AC/DC as an influence I'll pretty much throw myself fully behind them...there's nothing I love more than a filthy slice of down home, shit kicking rock and roll. This latest release from Finland's Hittegods, however, is a little like being invited to a keg party and turning up to find it's a black tie affair!!!

To be fair, Hittegods do clearly love rock and roll, In fact they pretty much say exactly that in "Fool For Rock", and they clearly enjoy what they're doing. These guys definitely know how to play their instruments and the musicianship remains high throughout. They also know their way round a catchy tune and the four songs on offer here do come good with the big choruses and some tasty riffs do rise to the surface. The problem is, it's all a little polite. The band seem to take their primary influences from the big cheesy rock of the 80's but their take on ZZ Top's boogie lacks Billy Gibbons' quirky weirdness and their take on the teased and primped tones of Whitesnake lacks David Coverdale's obsession with his own cock.

It's almost as if Hittegods are too tight. Everything here is performed with mechanical precision with a crystal clear sound. The guitar is crisp and processed and the drums snap clinically...this is rock and roll with a nice shirt and a well pressed pair of slacks where it should have oil on its jeans, puke down its shirt and cum stains in its pants!!! In effect this sounds like rock and roll being played by bank managers...they're undoubtedly having a blast doing it but it lacks the grime that makes true rock and roll great.

If you happen to be in Finland and these guys are playing a bar near you then set yourself up near the bar, grab a beer and settle down for an evening of head nodding rock and roll but don't be expecting the world to shift on its axis!!!

www.rockfreaks.net

Hittegods - Let It Burn

Hittegods is another rock'n'roll project from Finland that coincidentally sent in their new EP "Let It Burn" nearly simultaneous to a very like-minded and like-sounding band called Nitroforce 9 from the same country. I wonder if the two bands know of each other, given how similar their recent material sounds? Anyway, it's been almost two years since I reviewed their previous demo, the "You Reap What You Sow" EP, which sounded awfully lot like a sub-par AC/DC and Neil Young clone, with little promise of improvement in the future. I guess I have to eat my own words because their fifth demo/EP, "Let It Burn", displays vast improvement in pretty much all areas of their sound.

For starters, Hittegods have added a boatload of energy to their sound, now sounding more convincing and like a band to be taken seriously instead of the somewhat amateurish vibe of their past material. Secondly, the band have shifted away from merely imitating AC/DC towards the alternative rock realm, which has automatically given their sound a much more modern and relevant feel. The songs also sound like they are rocking out instead of just rolling forward anonymously, with "Fool For Rock" and "Supernatural Man" containing just the right combination of groovy guitars and memorable vocals to qualify as decent, even good listens in the right mood.

There's of course still the problem that Hittegods don't sound particularly original in a crowded genre of solid bands, which will continue to cause problems for them not least because of their geographic origin. It's just that much harder to make a name for yourself as a Finnish band than if you're from the UK, Germany or, well, anywhere else in Central Europe. That said, "Let It Burn" is a significant improvement from what I was hearing on their previous record, so if they keep evolving at this rate, their next release will be one worth paying some attention to.

www.metalstorm.net/ Luke Godin

Hittegods - Let It Burn

Oh sweet Jesus, the track names, the cover artwork...this all seems a little dated. Well, dated or not, it is pretty catchy. Granted, this isn't the most aggressive or ambitious EP you'll hear this year, but it sort of hits that same nostalgia spot that bands like AC/DC and Deep Purple do. It's a straight-forward classic rock sound, a firm grip on some cheesy rock n' roll sentimentality all delivered with a nice DIY charm. Let It Burn is not mind-blowing by any stretch, but it's a nice mellow inclusion into any classic rock, Saturday-evening-BBQ-playlist.

by Luke Godin

www.roughedge.com / R. Scott Bolton

"Let It Burn" is classic rock'n'roll with typical classic rock melody. The great fuzz guitar here drives the songs forward, and the fast (but not breakneck) pace keeps things interesting throughout. You wouldn't be surprised to hear any of these songs on classic rock radio.

The only problem is that there's only four songs here and, as always, you want to hear a lot more from the band as soon as you're finished listening to these four. Still, definitely worth the time, especially if you're a fan of this band's previous work or of the classic rock sound in general.

R. Scott Bolton

Daredevilrecords.de/Jochen

HITTEGODS from FINLAND are back with their fourth Demo and I really can´t understand why that band has no deal so far! The third Demo FLOWER POWER was full of great songs, near the AC/DC sound and now they go one step back into the 70`s Stadion Rock. Musically they are top and the music is really good. The opener YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW is like an old 70s KISS song and a young OZZY on vocals. This song is a real hit and I think every OZZY or KISS fan will love that song. LIVE AND LEARN is again a Hard Rock song with a lot of class. Especially the softer acoustic parts fit perfect into that song. NOW AND FOREVER is a little faster as the song before and features great guitars from Mikko Lähdeoja. The last WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER could be from KISS again and is a great Classic Rock song again with great vocals from Mikko. And the other 2 guys in the band are awesome too: HP Nummela on drums and Anssi Korkiakoski on bass. The Demo is very professional with a good booklet (all lyrics) and a professional sound. If you like good Hard Rock – get in touch with that band! Support the underground.

themayfairmallzine.com 15 July 2008 

The band may be unsigned but I’m sure this will be remedied very soon as this quite impressive EP closes with “Going Crazy” a darker more intense sound but still sticking to that big guitar filled sound. So remember where you heard it first, this is band definitely on the way up! Read more

roughedge.com/R. Scott Bolton 14 July 2008 

The band has firmed up their sound since the last demo, and "Flower Power" sounds stronger, more confident, and more like a band who knows really what they're doing. Read more

metalstorm.ee/Bas 16 July 2008

Hittegods from Finland describe their own music as "simple rock in the spirit of traditional hard rock" and it can't be denied that that's exactly what they do. Having said that, let's be honest, this third demo release by the trio release really isn't meant for most of the visitors of Metal Storm. If I'd have to describe this CD in one word I'd probably call it "hippy-rock". That's exactly what it sounds like to me, and to add to the effect, they even called this release flower power and sing about Woodstock anno 1969. However I actually quite enjoyed listening to it prior to this review. It almost feels like a little piece of the past, and besides that, it's a type of music that I'd never have bothered with if I wouldn't have gotten it to write a review for it. Clocking in at just under 15 minutes, this release is simply perfect for the purpose of shortly bringing you back to the late sixties or early seventies, without becoming too long. Especially a bit older people might like this as a small dose of nostalgia. Yet in the end I have the feeling that if you really want to be thrown back to those times, the best thing for you would be to listen to a CD that actually really originates from that time instead of a new release that copies it. There are enough more or less legendary bands from back then of which it won't be all too hard to lay hands on one of their album. Having said that, those bands aren't around anymore nowadays. So the way I see it, Hittegods should probably be more of a live band. A way to get back to the old days in a small club together with a crowd of equally-minded. After all nowadays it isn't that easy anymore to find any band of this kind. By the way, my mom liked this one a lot in case anyone cares.

live4metal.com/Steve Green 30 June 2008

Of the four tracks, one is an absolute gem. Flower Power, as the title suggests is all about Woodstock, flowers in your hair, naked people on LSD going groovy man and all that kind of thing. The lyrics are superb, as is the feelgood factor of the song. Read more

hardrockinfo.com/Jimmy Blom 2 July 2008

Don't let the name fool you, this is NOT a Swedish trallpunk band! This is a true old-school hard rock trio from Finland, playing like it sounded back in the '70s/'80s. The titles are pretty typical, like "Eye For An Eye" and "Back In Business", but the lyrics seems to be a little silly sometimes, like "Flower power, take me back to Woodstock" for exemple. The second song, "Eye For An Eye", remind a little of Swedish heavy hard rockers MUSTASCH. And that song plus the opening track, "Flower Power", is the best songs. The other 2 are just simple rockers that goes in through one ear and out through the other. Really good stuff indeed! Definetely worth checking out! A better name of the band woulden't be bad though. Read more