Review Summary: A weary but fulfilling album from one of the UK's most dedicated post-hardcore bands.
In most genres of rock UK bands have a vibrant home following and a proud and in many cases influential history. However in the messy and ill defined ground where post-hardcore, emo and straightforward alt rock meet enthusiasm in the UK has been markedly more patchy and for the most part dictated by the example of more illustrious American forebears. At the moment this kind of music is still riding on the surge in popularity in the U.S and in the UK this is mostly expressing itself through quite derivative punk pop such as Elliot Minor and Kids in Glass Houses or metalcore imitations such as The Blackout. But this isn't the first wave of enthusiasm in the UK. In the early 2000's a wave of Britrock bands who took the politically charged lyrics of post-hardcore but infused it with alt rock hooky riffs looked poised to dominate the charts. Bands such as Hundred Reasons, Jetplane Landing, Biffy Clyro and Hell is for Heroes were selling out venues and promoting each other and getting major label deals. Unfortunately, uncomfortably sandwiched between more accessible indie rock and heavier metallic genres, none of the bands ever quite reached the heights they looked capable of (though Biffy Clyro have made an impressive resurgence). Hundred Reasons and Hell is for Heroes, the two most hyped bands, were both dropped from their labels and left supporting at venues they once headlined and the wave of British indie rock soon swept in and swamped the charts, leaving most of the bands with only a core dedicated following which they soldiered on with, keeping up a relentless touring schedule and producing more exploratory material.
It's in this significantly less hyped atmosphere than their debut or even their second album that Hell is for Heroes joined Golf Records and released their self titled album in 2007 before sadly announcing their split in 2008 with a legacy of 7 years of touring and a sense of having almost made it. While this might easily have ended up an attempt to recapture their earlier sound and success, it's a credit to the band's desire to progress that they experimented further with their sound and followed on from Transmit Disrupt with a focus on atmosphere and texture over the explosive dynamics of previous years. While I'd hesitate to call it a more 'mature' album (they were pretty damn mature to begin with) it's certainly more relaxed and seeking to create a more cohesive whole. The album has a bleak tone which has an air of weariness. If the album isn't a statement on the situation of the band at the time of writing then it has at least seeped into the musical direction which is one of subdued longing and tightly controlled aggression.
Each of the songs develops with the instruments working in a tight ball of spiky riffs, low and gradually shifting rythms and measured climaxes. The key here is the control and competence of the band as not a second is wasted and it accomplishes the tricky task of creating a tangible atmosphere of smothering sound in a batch of fairly short songs. The instrumentation is all very clear and distortion is used very little, instead combining brooding bass and drums with a somber build up to create the thick sound. This creates an intriguingly epic sound which is used to effect in the mostly instrumental opener 'To Die For' where a very simple two note higher riff manages to almost emulate a pendulum effect over the building atmospherics behind it before moving into a curiously subdued swelling of noise joined by strained vocals to produce a climactic but not overwhelming effect, like a colossal disaster happening very far away. This restraint characterises the album as the screams and overwhelming noise of yesteryear are replaced by drawn out yells and a more swirling noise. For some this will be boring but for those willing to close their eyes and enjoy the music as a whole it turns out to be quite an achievement as the album ebbs and flows. The occasional breaking of the atmosphere as a particular element demands attention such as the synth line in 'Arcade' or the high pitched guitar of 'Into the Blood' becomes an attention grabber where it might be lost in the midst of more muscular and immediate riffs. This intent is seen in the choice of single in 'You've Got Hopes' which is to be honest a poor one as though it's journey through gradually descending and rising vocal murmurs and shouts underpinned by a melancholic background riff is a model for the album it's by no means the best example. A better choice would have been 'My Protector', a song which combines aggression in vocals and a more immediate and punchy set of repeated riffs which is immediately followed by a calming intermission of reverberating guitar and rolling drums. This is really the only time that a flash of real snarl peeks through the thick noise and that's a bit of a shame because though there's a sense of restrained aggression in the music it loses its effect without evidence of it really let loose.
The album owes much of its mood to the vocals of Justin Schlosberg. His voice has always had a uniquely strained and terse quality which fits well with the bleak tone. Switching between an almost murmur into strained yells and deeper clean singing the vocals propel the surrounding noise and offer a focus which is sometimes sorely needed. The lyrics of Hell is for Heroes have always tended more towards the evocative but slightly cryptic rather than the storytelling and this is true of this album but certain lines are hard not to associate with the situation of the band while recording. Lyrics such as,
So I wait in line
And I wait my turn in line
You’re getting away
You’re slipping away from me
certainly could be read as musings on their struggle with getting real attention and strike a note of resignation. However they still have the energy for a rallying call in their moments of rage especially on 'Into the Blood' where the blanket of noise comes sharply into focus as Schlosberg cries:
We will not go quietly
Once more into the firing line
Disguises all washed away
These ruins will rise again
These moments are a real strength that add a touch of excitement to a deep but occasionally too placid album. This is certainly not the Hell is for Heroes who were raging in their first album and it's a more weary band. However it's also one that has not lost their taste for experimentation and while those looking for an immediate hook may not find it here, looked at as a whole this is a deep and worthy last effort from a band who deserved more than they got.
