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Despite a lineup that would make any fan of doomy prog metal drool, EVERY HELL’s sound is far more accessible than its members other projects which include BLACK PEAKS and MEMORY OF ELEPHANTS. Led by vocalist and saxophonist Will Gardener, better known as the former vocalist of BLACK PEAKS or for his thrashy progressive metal band SKIN FAILURE, EVERY HELL show off in a wide range of overlapping genres from stoner metal to indie-punk to jazz fuelled noise.
From Vertebrate’s first track Bad Cop it’s clear that EVERY HELL are something unique, focusing on hefty riffs and forceful vocals instead of traditional genre boundaries. With a MARS VOLTA style choppy guitar intro leading into all-out punk noise, Bad Cop expresses only a narrow sliver of EVERY HELL’s true potential, letting Gardener’s instantly recognisable vocals take centre stage over ferocious chugging guitar and bass riffs from MEMORY OF ELEPHANTS and SKIN FAILURE’s Toby Stewart and former BLACK PEAKS bassist Andrew Gosden. While later tracks show a different, more confidently unique version of EVERY HELL this opener lets the band hit the ground running with a doomy punk-driven banger.
Vertebrate really shines once Gardener is given permission to pick up his sax and take charge of the band’s instrumentals. Tracks like lead single Freaking Out and The Watcher pair the distorted saxophone with harmonised guitar riffs for a thick, eardrum-rattling sound that pushes EVERY HELL into psychedelic or art rock territory without losing an ounce of their metal edge. While brass and woodwind instruments have been used by heavy bands from Aussie hardcore band SPEED’s flute led breakdown on The First Test to jazzcore oddities like ZU or skacore bands like AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY but EVERY HELL are one of the few acts to so seamlessly incorporate their unorthodox instrument choice into the melodic DNA of the band.
Whereas many of the heavier tracks on Vertebrate lean closer to the members’ various other projects the single Freaking Out stands out as a poster child for EVERY HELL’s unique mix of genres. Featuring a booty-shaking chorus that would feel right at home on most radio rock shows and a driving sax and guitar lead line, Freaking Out is the closest that EVERY HELL come to delivering on their “doom pop” premise. The heavier tracks definitely deliver something interesting but it’s clear that, as the first single the band released, this track was made with a specific sound in mind while the rest of the EP drifted from that sound into more experimental territory.
EVERY HELL go out on a high note, ending their debut EP with the roaring Another Killer, an unpredictable track that tears through its runtime like a strongman with a phone book. Taking pointers from acts like THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and MILLION DEAD, Another Killer represents the heavier, more chaotic side of EVERY HELL’s sound with its breakneck pace being matched by the speed with which the band introduce new sonic ideas. Flinging aside the picture the rest of the EP paints of the band Another Killer provides a vicious erratic finale to Vertebrate.
Introducing one of the UK’s most fascinating new bands, Vertebrate gives a glimpse into EVERY HELL’s world of fuzzed-out, weighty yet melodic doom. Even if the band’s substantial pedigree didn’t put them firmly on your radar then their debut EP is guaranteed to get your attention.
Rating: 7/10
Vertebrate is set for release on October 31st via self-release.
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The post EP REVIEW: Vertebrate – Every Hell appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
