Review Summary: Heavy Heavy Low Low has a great sound and so many breakdowns it'll make your head spin. A great release that fuses great metalcore, with great grind as well.
I’ve only seen Heavy Heavy Low Low twice. Once with my friends band at a local VFW. And on a major tour with Thursday. Although their live energy could be a lot (and I mean a lot) better, they sounded great (which is surprising considering they were all drunk.) The point is they not only make great metalcore (and they even dabble in a bit of grind.) they can play it live really well, and I’m sure music fans agree they want one hell of a live show. And while their stage presence isn’t that great, their mosh pits are crushing. Maybe not as crushing as say Converge, but believe me they’re intense. Their latest release and Ferret Music debut is “Everything’s Watched, Everyone’s Watching,” which I picked up at a local record store for 10 bucks. It was probably one of the best CD purchases I ever made.
Not only does “Everything’s Watched, Everyone’s Watching” have great music, but the musicians themselves are great. While they are nowhere near “God” status, they sure know how to play their genre very well. The dropped tones of the guitars make breakdowns crushing, the sludgy bass makes the beat intense, the drummer clashes cymbals and rocks the double bass like hell. The vocalist may seem alien to the rest of the band but (I think) he knows what he is doing. Overall the musicianship on this record and in the band itself is great, and they may not be the best musicians but they should definitely be respected within the metalcore and grind genres.
The album opens up with
This Is Really Testing The Patience I’ve Never Had and while there is practically no song structure at all it is a great introduction to the album because most of the album (if not all) really doesn’t have a “real” song structure. Especially on this song you won’t be hearing “Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge.” You will be hearing 32 seconds of blistering metalcore that will definitely leave a mark. The last couple seconds of the song has the vocalist screaming “Overworked, and underpaid. Overworked and underpaid!” Leading you to the next track and the rest of the album.
Mall-Nutrition is definitely a fan favorite and was number one on the setlist when I saw them. It opens up with a bone crushing breakdown and it only gets better from here. At :55 another breakdown comes right in and this one lasts a whole 18 seconds, and will definitely get you pumped at a live show. Then right after that breakdown you get a catchy punk like riff, and heavy palm muted and distortion leads you out of this song. Another great song is
Texas Chainsaw Mascer-Uh It opens with high pitched shrieking vocals, with the accompanying high pitched shrieking guitars. This is one of the most grind influenced songs on the album, and can b e appreciated by both metalcore and grind fans since halfway into it heads back into a more metalcore sound. Then the everything stops and these lyrics are spoken, “I think it’s safe to say: ‘Your days of wine and roses are over.’” Then like a train hiting you a breakdown comes in and runs you clean over, and just like that the song fades out… you hear static and feedback and then a melodic guitar comes in and for once you think you have a break from this insanity. Nope. Vocals come in with a crushing guitar In the background singing, “when the line between truths is as shallow as your breath/When You sight all we become are echoes of what we wonce were/life cheap red lipstick and whorre house perfume.” This is
Kids, Kids, Kids another fan favorite that was featured on a recording and then put to this record. This is one of the best songs on the record, because It is just all out metalcore that is so much fun to move around to. And don’t worry about shouting it out to them live, it is usually in their setlist. A blistering breakdown in the end and the song fades out. Just to show the humor of the band keep listening after the final track and you will hear the hidden track
There’s A Bat [Acoustic] and it literally the guitarist playing the same riff over and over again, someone smacking a tambourine, and singing their song
There’s A Bat which is ironically one of the heaviest songs on the record. After they sing the song they start schreeching like monkeys. The record is over. You are slightly stunned by the multiple breakdowns. And you are slightly stunned by that really unusual hidden track you just heard.
Over all “Everything’s Watched, Everyone’s Watching,” is a very solid release from a band I feel will get huge, Heavy Heavy Low Low. After seeing them twice I think they are well worth the price of a concert ticket if you love moshing to some pretty insane breakdowns. While there is no real filler on the album you may seem to grow tired of it by the end. However if you find metalcore and grind to be your kind of thing. Pick up this record you certainly won’t regret it.
4 / 5
Recommended Tracks:
This Is Really Testing The Patience I’ve Never Had
Mall-Nutrition
Texas Chainsaw Mascer-Uh
Kids, Kids, Kids
PROs
Some great lyrics and vocals
All musicians flow well with each other
Oh so many breakdowns
CONs
Songs may sound the same
May get a little tiring
