Labels: Calculated Risk Records
Review by: Kunal Nandi
If I was limited to 8 words per review, I’d say “The Jesus Lizard, but about 15 times faster”. It’s lucky that I’m not because that would be doing Humanfly a real disservice. I’ve not heard a record by a UK band that positively bristled with such psychotic energy in ages.
The Jesus Lizard comparison isn’t unfair though. Both share a rock-solid rhythm section (the bassist used to be in the sadly-missed “We put the Dong into Doncaster!” power-trio J*R), over which a discordant guitar and vocal attack is slathered. The difference lies there, as the two guitars combine at times to produce a real wall of sound, with intertwining metallic leads, with some ambitiously psychedelic moments during the breakdowns on the longer songs, suggesting that this band are looking forward as well as rocking the fuck out in the here and now.
Humanfly are, like Coalesce and Khanate, another band with a make-or-break vocalist. If you can take this guy’s high, strained, slightly phlegmy, Yorkshire-accented yelp (which you may recognise from his days in another sadly-missed combo Canvas), then it’s plain-sailing. If you can’t, then you should be able to appreciate the political and socialist commentary delivered in a concise and humourous manner, unless you’re dumb as well as deaf.
The way the album is structured almost demonstrates the way in which the band has progressed as musicians. The first three songs rocket out the speakers and all are over within about 4 minutes, but luckily the band haven’t shot their load prematurely as the band settle into a sturdier groove with “Cum To My Techno Party”. From then on the songs get slower, darker and longer, but what with the whole “albumette” clocking in at about 20 minutes, I’m finding myself more interested in the short, sharp, punky outbursts, as it’s the kind of thing you listen to in one sitting and it can be a lot to absorb. Hopefully they will stick around long enough to put out a full-length.
Try and get some 3D glasses to fully appreciate the nice artwork too.