Boards
Chickenhawk Album Unleashed
Available now:
http://www.myspace.com/chickenhawk
Born 2004. Made songs. Recorded three songs in 2005. Demo released. Recorded two more songs in 2006. Split with I Breathe Spears and With Scissors released on Millipede Records. Recorded 12 songs from April - December 2007. Album released. Here endeth the history lesson.
Chickenhawk is a raging schizophrenic multi-personality disorder of an album. Insanely original and musically adept the four members have fashioned a UK sound that stands up to the heavy avant guard of Naked City and Mr. Bungle whilst also having the riffs and head-banging nature of Melvins and Harvey Milk.
Die Shellsuit Die Review:
Listening to Chickenhawk is the aural equivalent of being battered about the head and neck by a huge, feathered monolith whiles simultaneously being cosseted in gentle waves by an ocean of chicken soup. This album is a huge, monstrous slab of post metal (or whatever you want to call it) tempered with epic, swelling grooves.
Obvious references would be Big Black, Melvins, Mr Bungle, Black Sabbath… You know the score. Distorted, buzzsaw guitars lock into throbbing bass grooves, all held together by clattering syncopated drums, and topped off with some quite frankly loopy vocals, ranging from a guttural howl to a throaty whisper, and pretty much everything in between. There are moments of sheer chaos, where you can’t help but wonder just how the band makes it all fit together, and there are (occasional) moments of almost normal song. Mostly though, you’ll be enjoying a sonic barrage of towering riffs and meandering solos, and being really glad that you have something to give your expensive new headphones a workout, even if it is making your brain hurt a bit.
This album probably isn’t for everyone because, frankly, you’re probably not good enough to appreciate it.
9/10