HEAVE – Hungover
Similar artists: Idles, Metz, Militarie Gun, Pissed Jeans, Drug Church
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk, Noise Rock
Ordinary people have too little sympathy for cult leaders. It must be hard not to go crazy when possessing their kind of power over their loyal subjects. And, what about becoming a cult leader in the first place? It must take a lot of ambition even to consider it. I bet that there are plenty of early mornings involved and working on the weekends.
Rock musicians are a lot like this. For them, however, there’s usually a lot more sympathy to be offered. They are, after all, the kinds of people whose bad behavior routinely guarantees them spots in documentaries or Hollywood movies. It’s a position that most people would like to be in and something that is generally envied.
HEAVE’s Hungover plays like music that an angry cult leader might use to torment and hypnotize their followers. It’s passionate and delusional. It’s made to scare your neighbors if you play it at a sufficient volume. Sadly, it resembles Idles, but that’s an error of judgment that you may wish to glare over. This is barking-rock, suicide-cult punk-rock.
Indian Handcrafts – Criminal
Genre: Screamo / Post-Hardcore, Noise Rock, Garage Rock
Similar artists: Alexisonfire, Deafheaven, The Melvins, Red Fang, A Place To Bury Strangers, Gilla Band
I am always very disappointed to learn that some of my favorite rock musicians are outstanding citizens who spend their free time doing good deeds for the community. Of course, it’s good to know that such people exist. It’s the kind of knowledge that allows you to forget locking your doors at night or lets you wake up with the safe knowledge that your car will be in the same place that you park it.
But I don’t want to hear that my rock musicians are good folks. The next thing that you’re going to tell me is that they are the same as you and me. They volunteer at the animal shelter and give out their old stage outfits to charity. Why the next thing you tell me is that they play in a KISS tribute band just for fun.
No, I’d rather be afraid of the rock musicians that I make part of my listening preferences. I’d instead assume that they are unhinged characters that I would never want around for Sunday dinner. Indian Handcrafts’ Criminal fully fulfills the role of making the band sound like the kind of sonic terrorists that are best observed from a safe distance. They use their grunge guitars and shouting to spread fear among concertgoers. And, if you see any of them enjoying an ice cream on a hot summer day, please keep that to yourself.
