Black metal is, I maintain, best when it is adulterated with other genres. But…vaporwave is a new one, even for me. Can it work? Only one way to find out: drink from the cup of heresy. This week’s offerings: Hellir’s Hollow Moon: Precursor and Go Brewing Company’s Disarm.
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The Tunes: Hellir – Hollow Moon: Precursor
Asheville, NC, duo Hellir are doing something ambitious and different with the release of their debut album, Hollow Moon: it’s being broken up into thirds and released as a trio of EPs, of which Precursor is the first. Also, if you didn’t catch it right away, this is a band that blends synths and vaporwave with black metal. So, there’s that. If you’re skeptical, you have a right to be, but it actually reads much more closely to progressive metal than anything too outlandish. That may end up being a blessing and a curse for Precursor. The compositions are interesting enough, and the synths and electronic breaks play really nicely with the heavy guitars and back-and-forth of clean and shrieked vocals. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Shaneyfelt handles all the guitars, vocals and programming, with Dylan Webb backing him up on drums, and their interplay is a very strong part of what makes this EP work. The blend of piano, electronics and heavy downtuned riffs isn’t exactly as groundbreaking as I wanted it to be, but you can’t argue that it doesn’t work out. Precursor is undeniably heavy and there are moments in here that are appropriately jarring and crushing, but at the end of the day there isn’t anything that is so abrasive that the average fan of, say, Humanity’s Last Breath or Vildhjarta wouldn’t get down with.
And that ends up being why I can’t help but feel Hellir doesn’t go far enough into it for my taste. They have a really cool thing going, and I wish that these songs were weirder and more out there. I wish they abandoned their metal side more than they do, because I think there are a lot of really creative things happening here, but they sort of blend themselves into a corner with the rest of their peers, when they could easily stand out. Still, this is only part one of three, so I guess I have to reserve judgement until the full thing is out. Their debut EP Wheel of Ghosts included synth pop and cinematic music too, so I’m hoping the next batch of tracks is where they really get wild with it. Way to keep them wanting more!
Hollow Moon: Precursor is out now on Hellir’s Bandcamp page.
The Booze: Go Brewing Company’s Disarm
It’s not the first time we’ve featured non-alcoholic beer in this column, and quite honestly, it shouldn’t be the last. Recent events in our lives have necessitated the introduction of non-alcoholic libations, and I know we’re not the only staff members here who have reevaluated their relationship with alcohol. That’s why it’s great that companies like Go exist, who do NA beer that actually tastes like something other than glorified sparkling water. Disarm is a hazy IPA that actually feels and tastes hazy; it’s bright, bracing, and fruity from the Krush, Sabro and Strata hops, with a nice clean finish and a touch of sweetness from the added lactose (which I am on record as being a huge fan of). You can tell that it’s actually brewed, and just because they cut out the alcohol doesn’t mean they cut corners. There is the same level of care in here you would expect from any craft brewery. The absolute definition of refreshing, this beer has everything I could ever want in an IPA, for those times when I really don’t feel like waking up with a hangover. This could very well become my staple weeknight beer.
It would be really cool to keep checking in on Hellir as more parts of Hollow Moon are released. Maybe that’s just what I’ll do. Until then, cheers and be good to each other.
— Ian
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