EP REVIEW
HONDO MACLEAN
1.
ANIMATED ANTICS
(MP3)
|
Another top quality Welsh band - what are they feeding them
on over there? Hondo Maclean play a well
balanced mix of heavy melodics and extreme hardcore. In the melodic moments
they sound reminiscent of 'Funeral For A Friend'
with those tuneful harmonies that still sound so heavy and they also
intersperse powerful and nasty sections of screamo-metal, however these guys
go much, much further (both aspects aptly demonstrated in “Asia Argento”).
There are some brutal moments of crushing heaviness that would make the
likes of 'Johnny Truant' proud, but the songs
are always pulled back from the brink using melody like guide ropes to steer
in the direction of accessibility. The vocals vary wildly from tune, to
screams, to deep, death grunts and growls - quite fantastic. This art of balance can be heard throughout personal favourite “Animated Antics” where the light and shade are mixed very creatively and builds into a song which conducts visits to both heaven and hell, seated on a cushioned chair in a fluffy chariot… driven by Satan! It sounds mad but it works extremely well. “You're Addicted To Disco Baby” begins with incredible intensity - almost 'Sikth' like in sound and construction - and then the switch to an almost angelic chorus and butter wouldn’t melt, that is until the song breaks once again and it explodes into murderous screamocore. These songs are rarely simplistic and straight forward, for instance “Mortal Kombat” contains twist and turns, changes of pace, structure and style, as well as plenty of intricate detail in the guitar work. This is simply an excellent EP, that’s made even more special by the fact it’s their debut. It contains enough brutal power to tear the balls off a rhino, more ingenuity and imagination than a book of patents and yet still has the passion and soul to satisfy Barry White on heat. With their command of melody most likely manoeuvring them away from becoming too niche or extreme, theirs will be a very interesting journey to watch. We wish them well and hope to hear a lot more. Rigsby (15th June, 2003) |
