The Hyena Kill – Atomised
The Hyena Kill
Atomised
Hard rock
Released: 16 May 2016
Via Proud Cow Records
Manchester based rockers, The Hyena Kill have been making waves recently in the UK. They have a reputation as being one of the best live bands on the independent circuit and when you consider the fact that there only two of them it’s all the more impressive. The band are raw, intense and uncompromising when it comes to their music.With brutal riffs and screamed melodies, The Hyena Kill could well bring in the next generation of hardcore in the UK. Building off of their influences rather than just blatantly copying them, they’re looking to make their mark on the UK rock scene with their debut album Atomised.
The band consists of Steven Dobb (on guitar and vocals) and Lorna Blundell (on Drums) and they share a fantastic chemistry working off of each other in superb fashion, making these raw and, quite frankly, beautiful tones. It really strikes in your head and leaves an impression. That’s probably the best way to describe this album, striking. Everything hits you like a tonne of bricks as the aforementioned, uncompromised sound attacks your senses. Everything feels raw like the album was done in one take and you can really feel the raw passion and emotional weight in every song. From the blistering “Tongue Tied” to the heavy and powerful title track “Atomised”. All of it is just balls to the wall harcore. Steven’s heavy vocals complement the heavy twang of the guitar and his more subdued voice works for the most part as well, although I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the vocal effect. It’s quite echoey and can make the overall production feel muddy.
I don’t have much bad to say about the album. Except that the production can be muddy and that really does hurt the album. Take a listen to the current state of heavy rock records going around at the moment. Yes, they’re intense and wild but they still have that polish to them that makes them sound like finished products. Whereas The Hyena Kill’s album feels a little…. Well, middle of the road. I’m not say the songs are bad. The concepts are there and it’s clear that they are very talented songwriters but the presentation of this album feels quite messy. Overall it’s a mixed bag of sounds that definitely grabbed my attention, but doesn’t hold it all that well. Which is why it’s taken me two weeks to write this review. The album wasn’t holding my attention for very long and I found myself moving on to the plethora of other music I have to look at.
If you particularly follow the UK independent rock scene and like the raw intensity, you may like, or even love this. However, for me it just lacks that polish and flair to keep me coming back for more.
2.5/5
Mick Birchall
Valkyrian Music 
Leave a Reply