1 Nov 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Hault - EP review: Hault

06 Jan 2018 // A review by Paul Goddard
The 90's will always be my favourite decade for music. It was a time when rock bands took a punk attitude and melded it with face melting heavy 70's style riffs and this is all perfectly summed up in the Sonic Youth doco 1991 the year that punk broke (check it out).

Two bands were pivotal in influencing some great and not so great bands through the mid to late 90's. 1987 saw Nirvana coming out of a rain and heroin-soaked Seattle while at the same time in a sun and weed drenched Californian desert a bunch of kids were taking an even more laid-back approach with an equal amount of attitude in the form of Kyuss. Stoner/Desert rock and Grunge as they were later tagged reflected the time and environment where they were spawned.

2018 in a rain/wind/sun and craft beer soaked Wellington, Hault are taking these 90's influences and attempting to add their own twist. Their self-titled EP is 17 mins of what you would expect from reading their bio but also thankfully has a little of the unexpected.

Musically all four tracks trip along at a pace that naturally goes well with beer and weed and like all good music this needs to be turned up loud to allow the repetitive grind to get into your psyche. At times they hit the mark but there are also moments where the songs do stray into middle of the road territory which is something that should always be avoided.

The most interesting element to the Hault sound though is the vocal of Mike Cole. When it first kicked in after the heavy pummelling opening riff of Cold, I admit I kind of cringed a little. Don't get me wrong Mike can really sing but he has a voice that would sit really well in a 70's prog rock or psychedelic folk band and it grates against the stoner vibe of the music. On first listening, I was so distracted by it that I didn't realise I had gone through all four songs. It could well turn out that the vocals are going to be one of the things that make Hault stand out and I am sure it works great in a live environment.

On further listens the music comes back to the fore and Hault create enough variation to keep things interesting without having a track that particularly stands out.

If they can avoid the cliches, grab a few of those craft beers and head a little further up the desert road then this heady mix could be something to watch out for.


Review written by Paul Goddard
 

About Hault

Hailing from the underground rock scene in Wellington, Hault has recorded the first album of their career, combining metal, heavy rock and psychedelic influences into a pummeling sound that has rocked the Wellington region.

Taking inspiration from the biggest names in rock; Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Tool, Kings X and many more, Hault have spent the past two years perfecting and developing their sound, crushing it into an ensemble of heavy grunge rock guaranteed to destroy stereotypes of standard rock.

Whether in the studio working on new material or on the stage of Wellingtons best venues, Hault have remained devoted to delivering a performance not presently heard from original rock line ups.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Hault

Releases

Brother
Year: 2019
Type: EP
Hault
Year: 2017
Type: EP
B Side
Year: 2017
Type: EP

Other Reviews By Paul Goddard

Cairo Knife Fight - EP Review: Dream Season
19 Jul 2024 // by Paul Goddard
Cairo Knife Fight have been around a while and been through a lot. Spawned in NZ and now based in the U S of A it has been a journey full of highs and lows.
Read More...
The Dirty Tones - Album Review: Sweet Thang
23 May 2024 // by Paul Goddard
For me, Blues music is the real soul music. It has storytelling like Country and folk music and passion like Rock music, but at its core it gives a window into the soul of the people creating it.
Read More...
Sam Cullen - EP Review: Love Again
18 Apr 2024 // by Paul Goddard
When I first heard this brand-new EP from Invercargill native Sam Cullen, I was immediately reminded of another famous Sam who has an equally famous last name (Fender).The four songs on the Love Again EP  have a familiarity and similarity with roots going back to Springsteen and the well-trodden stadium rock road but there is also something in the songs on Love Again that could only be grown in New Zealand.
Read More...
Skitch Hiker - Single Review: Slippery Wet Handshake
30 Jun 2023 // by Paul Goddard
Wow.Just when you have given up on music and banging your head against a brick wall wondering why Taylor Swift is more popular than toilet roll during a pandemic something like this comes along.
Read More...
Retro Valley - Single Review: Backseat Lovers
19 May 2023 // by Paul Goddard
Right from the opening bars of Backseat Lovers by Hamilton-based Retro Valley it is clear that this song is pure class.This 3-minute tune is a next-level lesson in how to create, perform and produce a pop/indie classic.
Read More...
Murmur Tooth and Lars Moston - Album Review: No Time To Explain
19 May 2023 // by Paul Goddard
Collaborations can work. Sometimes they do most of the time they don't.
Read More...
Album Review: Sex Dad's Greatest Hits: The Very Best Of Sex Dad
27 Dec 2022 // by Paul Goddard
Feeling bloated and underwhelmed. Listening to mainstream radio in the car as I left my phone at home.
Read More...
Marrow Neck - EP Review: Made Up
23 Nov 2022 // by Paul Goddard
Sitting here in a very wet and cold, rainy UK watching the oldies falling out of the local Wetherspoons where they have been on the piss since 9am (yep the UK is weird it's only the old people who can afford to get pissed all day).I am reflecting on the past as I listen to the latest EP Made Up from Auckland-based Mark Hannington.
Read More...
View All Articles By Paul Goddard

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem