Monday 9 January 2012

Serious Beak - Huxwhukw


Serious Beak 
Huxwhukw 
Art as Catharsis

Australian metal bands are like diamonds. I personally find quality ones rare, not because they're bad - more to do with my relative lack of knowledge on the scene Down Under, coupled with the flood of metal bands I hear about from just over the Atlantic Ocean. But when I do stumble upon one, wow is it a thing of beauty, of rare quality. And Serious Beak, featuring Adrift For Days guitarist Lachlan Dale, with their unpronouncable album 'Huxwhukw' prove to be quite a valuable find.

'Huxwhukw' is a varying instru-metal assault over 10 tracks, and fans of bands like The Mars Volta, Meshuggah, Mastodon, etc. will sure find something to like here, whether they're flexing their heavier muscles, akin to the razor sharp talons carried by larger avian varieties, or spreading their progressive wings, which they have a tendency to go for on several occasions, particularly on the jazz/metal/gonzo fest that is 'Sporas'.

They remind me, in some ways, of fellow Aussies Akaname - whose 2010 EP, 'As Above So Below' is well worth seeking out - and perhaps that's down to the guitar tone, particularly at foot to the floor time. That said, its more expansive and other influences are prevalent at various points, particularly on 'Fljóta', which contains a tribal vocal, the only voice heard throughout the record.

I for one hope Serious Beak get some serious acclaim for this record and get their name put out a bit further. Instru-metal records can fall into the trap of becoming backing music pieces or some sort of soundtrack form. Not 'Huxwhukw', which firmly soars over those pitfalls with little difficulty. Another cracking find from the Australian goldmine.

Peter Clegg

Buy/download 'Huxwhukw' here

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1 comment:

  1. Dude, visit my blog if you wanna find more great Aussie metal/hardcore bands of the technical/experimental persuasion.

    I too also hear a lot of similarities between Akaname and Serious Beak. Both are beyond amazing.

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