By John Bedard
Going into this album I had high hopes. It is something that I should really like. The press email I was sent describes the band going through adversity and tragedy and turning that pain into this album. I have always believed that one of the rawest emotions is the clarity you experience after a good cry. That moment when you turn the pain into the power to move forward. There is something special about that moment and listening here I get the feeling that is the exact emotion The Hyena Kill is trying to capture and make us feel. They succeed.
The musical composition is this odd hybrid between rock/metal and ambient/psychedelic that is quite cool. There are many layers to the tone as the tracks go on. Making for an experience that has a lot of potential. I found that I really enjoyed having this album playing in the background while doing other things. Especially the softer tracks that leaned more toward the ambient/psychedelic influences. That being said the album never really captured my primary attention. At times things would get a little too repetitive and I found that it what easy for me to get distracted when trying to listen for comprehension rather than background music. Don’t get me wrong: all the different instruments and tones play wonderfully together. It just was not hugely memorable. Usually fading into the background. I would not necessarily say this is even a bad thing. Just that this one will not suck you in and demand your attention in a vacuum.
Vocally, I feel the same. There is this soft vocal style that occasionally opens up to a more powerful push but, even then, it keeps that softer soothing tone I rather enjoyed. I will say that the lyrics are not all that clear at times, making it difficult to understand; but I don’t really think the lyrics are all that important anyway. The tone is enough to make me enjoy the experience. In the same way that the music has those ambient/psychedelic influences so does the vocal style, giving the album a very chill feel throughout.
I found that the more I listened the more the album grew on me. I was still bugged by the repetition and I still found it to be best as an accent to whatever I was doing rather than my primary focus but I loved how the band captured the emotion and channeled it into every track. I know at times my review above can sound a bit negative but I don’t mean it to. I will be listening to this more in the future for sure. And I will be following the band because I believe there is huge potential for the future and a wonderful tone set by what is delivered now. I think this is absolutely worth your time.
- ‘A Disconnect’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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