Helgorithms - EP Review: To The Mountains
13 Sep 2016 // A review by Jacob Sisson
This small collection of songs were some that shaped the way for one of Auckland’s sweetheart bands,
Helgorithms, some of the first they wrote when they formed the band over two years ago. With this being their second release, but comprised of songs from before the first, one would assume they wanted to go back and give life to some of the early material before working on new stuff.
And boy, am I glad they did. Heavy with effects and atmosphere, these 3 songs are a short journey, but a powerful one. You can hear the range of influences from Neurosis through to ISIS (the band) and Cult of Luna come through clearly in the attention to tone and musicianship.
The first song is a slow moving behemoth of sludgy, doomy riffs. As we get into the second song, the pace is brought to a boil and you can feel the energy overflow. The third song is a tumultuous affair, with the pace surging in places then being brought back down to a slow amble. The third track is definitely my favorite on the release, but I feel this is one you have to listen from start to finish to get the full effect of the composition.
All in all this is a solid release, and I highly recommend it. Grab it on Bandcamp, Spotify, or Itunes now!
About Helgorithms
Helgorithms are a 3 piece post-metal band based in Auckland, drawing influence from bands such as Neurosis, Deafheaven, ISIS & Devin Townsend, they combine a flurry of techniques and deploy them to create songs that take the listener on an aural journey.
Utilising an 8 string guitar for the majority of material gives the songs a tonal palette that is left unutilised by modern bands that tend to stick to the typical chug of an 8 String guitar. Effects are used on both guitar and bass which open up a wide array of sounds not often heard in heavy music.
Helgorithms released their demo in October 2014 on Floppy Disk/Online as a way of doing something different compared to other bands, since playing their first live show in November 2014, Helgorithms have gained multiple international support slots, playing with bands such as The Ocean, Merauder, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, as well as playing with local heavy weights such as The Heavy Metal Ninjas and Subtract.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Helgorithms