Review: HÖG ‘BLACKHOLE’
Now, HERE is a sound that I can completely get behind. HÖG, hailing from Portland, via Central Valley, California, have dropped the proverbial bomb with their debut record BLACKHOLE. Released on the always-awesome RidingEasy Records, this platter is bristling with dirty, heavy-ass, rock and roll energy from the second the proverbial needle hits wax.
The trio, led by Daniel, who relocated from California to Portland, on guitar and vocals, Bobcat on bass, and Adam on drums (no surnames given anywhere in any of the press I encountered) have crafted an album that calls back to the very best of stoner rock, proto-metal and early punk rock. BLACKHOLEplays out like an unhinged love letter to early ‘70s heavy metal, yet also completely bristles with stoner-punk energy.
This notion plays out immediately with the crazed, galloping, old-school mania of opener Don’t Need You. Stuffed to the gills with riffs, ‘70s shred, pissed-off vocals, tempo changes with trippy yet banging bridges and more rhythm pummel than one could ever possibly want to start an album.
Next, the trio see absolutely no reason to let their collective foot off the gas in the stoner punk, crash-and-bash of Life Too Late. They do whatever they damn well please, including launching into a wicked middle section that sees Daniel unleash all sorts of nasty, vintage shred. This is impeccably anchored by the unreal, rolling, rhythmic mayhem that Bobcat and Adam provide. The title track, BLACKHOLE, which, while still delivering a total vintage, heavy, rock and roll beat-down, comes across as slightly less manic and confrontational, which in turn gives the record a nice sequential flow.
You can practically feel the fuzz crackling from the guitar strings as Bring You Down is introduced. A total mid-tempo, riffy, psychedelic ‘70s head-nodder if there ever was one, with stellar shred throughout. For much of the album, the vocals are distorted and aggressive, sounding at times like a hybrid of Cronos from Venom and Clifford Dinsmore from California hardcore legends BL’AST, but here, the approach is laid back and less confrontational than heard on earlier tracks. Bring You Down, for my ears, is the center piece of the album, literally and figuratively, and is definitely one of the cooler heavy rock tracks I have heard all year.
a nasty blast of proto‑metal and stoner punk…
The fuzzy psyche vibes of are immediately followed by the urgent, off-the-rails, stoner punk energy of City Witch. A total barnburner from the jump, while Shallow Earth teases the return of the recently heard psychedelic vibes, before exploding into a riff monster of the highest order. As HÖG have continuously shown us over the course of the album, they possess both the chops and the desire to blast off into space at any given moment, and they most certainly do so during the track’s mid-section. Here, the echo-y, vintage ’70s shred is deftly complemented by a rhythmic assault that is at once dizzying and completely crushing.
The penultimate My Mind (is getting heavy) takes its time unfurling, going from waves of volume swells to another unhinged, proto-metal ripper. Closing out the album is the aptly titled Free. It’s a wicked, charging example of what this band excels at – ripping, distorted rides through ’70s riffs and shred. Walls of distortion and hints of psychedelia all propelled by an urgent, explosive rhythm section that balances chaos, chops, and wild energy.
I enjoyed the hell out of BLACKHOLE, spinning it multiple times – perhaps beyond my usual musical absorption needed to write a coherent review, but God damn, this album rocks. Apparently recorded in the back of an amp store in Portland, entirely on two‑inch reel tape, it carries a dirty, maniacal aura that makes it a nasty blast of proto‑metal and stoner punk. Recalling both The Stooges and Mötorhead at their most raucous, the accolades hurled at the band are well deserved.
It’s hard to stand out in this genre, and HÖG have crafted a record that most certainly does. Props must also go to RidingEasy Records, who continue to unearth and release awesome, genre-bending records, and this eight-tracker is no exception. Enthusiastically recommended.
Label: RidingEasy Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
