The Heavils - The Heavils
2003 - Metal Blade Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to The Heavils website.
True originality is something that has all but disappeared from heavy music in recent years, with most bands tending to either copy from existing templates or, in an attempt to come up with something original, simply attempt to cack-handedly meld two seemingly disaparate styles of music together with varying degrees of success. But, luckily, it seems that the spirit of innovation has found itself some new prophets, since The Heavils have attempted to find a new sound not by copying others or melding styles, but by going to the virtually unheard-of lengths of actually inventing their own instruments!
Yep, you read that last bit right - vocalist/guitarist Brian Carter is in the habit of creating stringed instruments from everything including toilet seats, PVC tubing and motorcycle handles. This means that right from the beginning, The Heavils sound anything like any other band you may have come across before. Couple that with the fact that the music they come out with sounds somewhat akin to trapping Primus, S.O.D, Tool and Led Zeppelin in an elevator and cutting the lift cable, and you've got yourself a seriously interesting prospect.
The music, in general, is extremely hard-hitting, fast paced heavy rock/metal with left-field influences, an oddball sense of humour and a unique sound. Undertow shows a Tool influence in more than title, since certain sections of the song sound like re-worked attempts at the riffs in the Tool track of the same name, whereas Eyes Not Mine is a deranged, on/off dynamic attack which switches almost instantly from sinister bass lines and spoken vox to raging riffs and shouts. There's a distinct presence of funk and groove to the tracks, too, as well as enough aggression and punch to enthusiastically bang your head to.
However, the idiosyncratics of The Heavils and their almost determinedly individualistic tones may mean that, after a while of listening to this album, you may want to head off back to more familiar climes. Their isolation from pretty much all other heavy music makes it difficult to identify with them, unless perhaps you're a dedicated Primus or Devo nut. So, while their originality is to be whole-heartedly applauded, maybe a little more concession to accessability would be a bonus next time round, in order to ensure longevity.
7/10
