Happy Hearse - Album Review: Mastering the Shakes
It happens, but not as
often as I’d like, that I’ll come across a hidden gem that manages to blow my
mind, musically and lyrically and leaves me feeling completely satisfied with undulated
happiness and excitement.
Mastering the Shakes is the 2009 debut from the self- proclaimed
grunge phenomenon band, Happy Hearse.
Hailing from Auckland,
the trio have a sound that exceeds any idea of what you think they may sound like.
They sound better.
Now, I could be
biased, as the general grunge sound is something I have an acquired audio palette
for. Like a moth to a flame, I seek and find, but it’s also all too easy for
bands of this genre to cross pollinate and blur those lines. Happy Hearse are a
band that are definite in their sound and are good at it.
The eleven-song debut is
literally an assault on your senses, and after opening track, Factory, I’m hooked.
Fat, sludgy bass
lines, sea-sick guitar riffs and guttural, primal screams. There is a lot of
pure energy, talent and uniqueness to Happy Hearse’s sound, and quite simply,
writing about it does it no justice.
Vocalist, Duncan
Harwood has a depth and uniqueness to his voice that is nothing like I’ve heard
before. His wails and screams are hypnotic and carries strong from start to
finish. The heaviness of their sound is gut- punching good and lyrically
thought provoking, filled with social commentary.
Happy Hearse is a band you simply need to know about. Mastering the Shakes takes you on an auditory journey you’re not likely to forget for a while.
Review written by Kerry Monaghan
About Happy Hearse
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