Review: Hey Colossus ‘Heaven Was Wild’
Hey Colossus, the long-running, prolific, UK heavy noise-rockers return with album number fifteen, Heaven Was Wild, which, in the crazy world of rock and roll, and the lifespan of most bands, seems like an eternity. Throughout their long history, they have never settled on one particular sound. Initially described alternately as sludge, noise, and even psyche-tinged hardcore, they have followed their creative whims, and this is on vivid display throughout the course of their latest opus.
The band began blasting these songs out live in the studio, while tightening them up in a live setting, prior to laying the tracks to the virtual tape. Evidently, the entire process took less than a week, which, considering their depth, range, diversity and dynamics, is pretty amazing.
We experience this at once with opener, and first single, Cannibal Forecast, which had me moving right off the bat with its distorted guitar, psychedelic leads, thumping low-end, and catchy vocals. There’s also some wicked, cosmic shred throughout, as well as a soaring chorus that had me recalling past British rock bands, from Ride to The Jesus And Mary Chain. If you’re in the mood for some weirdness and a thumping, off-kilter delivery, then look no further than Roses, which is all at once one of the more bizarre yet cool songs I’ve encountered thus far this year.
Next up is the second single, Clock, which begins life with some Wipers-style down-stroke action, and features awesome guest vocals from Claire Adams from Leeds outfits Objections and Nape Neck. They quickly build the track and soon reach an insanely catchy chorus with Adams and vocalist Paul Sykes sounding fantastic together. The guitar leads and rhythm, to my American rock sensibilities, had me again recalling British rock and post-punk acts of yore like Killing Joke and Slowdive. The accompanying video is awesome as well, with the visuals deftly complementing the music.
distorted guitar, psychedelic leads, thumping low-end, and catchy vocals…
Losing no momentum, Death And Deliverance is another catchy blast of distorted rock, this time with a dose of garage vibes for good measure, and another equally killer video, complete with corpse paint and classrooms. We then get a bit of a palette cleanser with the somber Runaway Heart, a jangly, melodic, yet still distorted song, wherein Sykes delivers a great vocal performance throughout.
The aptly titled People You Long To Forget teases a nasty, garage riff-fest, before unfolding, somewhat disappointingly, into a jangly, soaring melodious affair. I say ‘disappointing’ only in the sense that I was lost in the band leaning into the aforementioned riffage, but the track is still an impressive mid-album epic.
Moving towards the back end, we get the near three-minute pounding of the jangly, fuzzy bass of Consequences, while the mid-tempo swing of Party Of Fleas features guest vocals from Angi Fletcher – who also created the album art – and James Finlay of Nottingham’s Fists. The penultimate You’ll Rot was perhaps my favorite track on the album, with its menacing, driving, distorted, garage rock delivery, and uneasy, howling vocals. Closing number The Spiders Line is a dreamy, shoegaze psychedelic exclamation point, sequenced perfectly coming off the nasty vibes of You’ll Rot, bringing this impressive album to its conclusion.
While I certainly cannot claim to know Hey Colossus intimately in any way, they have, at minimum, been in my periphery for quite a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed Heaven Was Wild from start to finish. Founding members Joe Thompson (bass) and Robert Davis (guitar), accompanied by their stellar band members and guests, continue to explore wherever their creativity and heavy rock obsessions take them. The fact that this album came together the way it did left this reviewer impressed and wanting more. Thankfully, for me, Hey Colossus has such a vast discography to dig into. Recommended.
Label: Wrong Speed Records | Learning Curve Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
