27 Dec 2024
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
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
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
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