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Event
Helms Alee, Kowloon Walled City
HELMS ALEE
Every music nerd has gotten roped into the desert island conversation. You knowwhats the one record you would bring with you to some remote location to provide solace for the rest of your days? Or better yet, whats the one band whose catalog would always remain fresh to your ears, even after years and years of isolation? Of course, the ideal candidate would be a band who has a significant body of work, a band whos songs span a variety of temperaments and timbres, and, obviously, a band that just plain rules. With their fourth album, Stillicide, Helms Alee prove that they might be the only group you would need for the rest of your life. Hyperbole? Perhaps. But the Washington state trio of Ben Verellen (guitar, vocals), Dana James (bass, vocals), and Hozoji Margullis (drums, vocals) delivers the kind of expertly crafted, dynamic, nuanced, and diverse songwriting that is both instantly engaging andas evidenced by their previous albums Night Terror (2008), Weatherhead (2011), and Sleepwalking Sailors (2014)increasingly gratifying after years of repeated listens.
With Stillicide, Helms Alee continues their sonic tradition of blending heavy riffs, dark guitar pop, and math rock into songs that are at turns brutal, anthemic, and cerebrally engaging. Starting with the syncopated poundage and epic piano line of More Weight, Helms Alee demonstrates that theyve fortified every angle of their attack. You want amp worship? Try to find a more barbaric chug than the riff in the appropriately titled Galloping Mind Fuk. You want melodies so powerful you break out in goosebumps? Try to quell your follicles during the final crescendo of Tit to Toe. You want one of those proggy odd-time signature moments where you can flex that you know where the 1 falls while banging your head? Listen to Bullygoat and bask in the knotty introductory guitar line that sounds like Duane Denison fucking with Depeche Modes Personal Jesus. Relish the brutalage of the title track. Savor the minor-key jangle of Andromenous. Ride the tumultuous tug-of-war between savagery and serenity in the album closer Worth Your Wild.
After nearly a decade of existence, one can only assume that a band is either entering their sunset years or striding with such artistic strength and confidence that they are creating a whole new legacy for themselves. With Helms Alee, it is obviously the latter scenario. The band set a high bar for themselves with their spectacular debut album Night Terror, but every subsequent release has trumped their previous endeavors. Bolstered by the recording and production expertise of Kurt Ballou at God City Studios, Stillicide is not only the groups strongest collection of songs, it is arguably their best sounding release to date. The heavier moments are that much more oppressive; their melodic angles are that much more beguiling, and the juxtaposition between Verellens patriarchal roar and the siren song vocals of James and Margullis is that much more exhilarating. If there was only one band you could listen to for the rest of your life, Helms Alee would satiate most every emotional yearning. And if you could only pick one of their albums, youd gravitate towards the best document of their textural range and songwriting chops. Youd gravitate towards Stillicide. - by Brian Cook
KOWLOON WALLED CITY
"Post-metal group fronted by Scott Evans. It's a glorious trainwreck of AmRep-style noise rock sculpted into minimalist shapes, with a structure that becomes a metaphor for hollowness of all kinds." - Pitchfork
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LocationHemlock Tavern (View)
1131 Polk St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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