Prometheus
Other Electricities
I don't know who coined the term "Amplifier Worship"; I think it may have been Boris but I can't be sure. Whoever it was may not have had Holly Hunt in mind but there are few bands that fit that phrase more. With their mid-tempo slog and deep love for the low-end, this Floridian-instrumental-doom-duo are best heard at loud volumes. I use the term doom here loosely in that string of adjectives. Yes, there is an overwhelming amount of fuzz and the music is most certainly slower than it is fast (if that makes any sense) but I don't get the real sense of evil that I get from other doom bands. Holly Hunt has the feeling of a lumbering giant that protects a forest rather than some demon that kills for fun. There is an easy going swing to probably about half of Prometheous and the other half is battle ready ground and pound assault. There is no trickery in Holly Hunt's repertoire. There are only riffs, timing an tone.
The album feels completely live and played on feel rather than a strict arrangement. The changes sound like they come when the players are ready for them rather then after a specific count.They manage to be ruled by feel and still never come off as jammy. This could have to do with the complete lack of frills on this record. Throughout the 3 songs on Prometheus you will never hear a guitar solo, (you don't hear one on their previous release Year One either), just riff upon riff upon riff. Don't get them confused for a stoner band though, this is not Sabbath worship, this is amplifier worship. There is more flow to Holly Hunt's style. They don't so much transition between riffs as much as their riffs transform into one another. The style is familiar but difficult to explain. The guitar tone doesn't change throughout the record but it's so thick with different amp sounds and an array of pedals give an immense amount of depth to it's sound and causes it to keep your ear throughout the EP. The constant gnawing hi-end static and warbling thud of the guitar is moved through the songs with the infinitely mercurial drumming. These two could not be matched up any better. There is so much punch in the drums that they cut through the all encompassing guitar barrage. The drumming is hardcore in style with jazz timing. The tempo changes are all completely dictated by Beatriz's (the drummer) will. The tempo changes are where you get most of your real dynamics come from, as the volume is pretty constant. There are points where the drums drop out or notes are left to hang in the breeze that seem slightly quieter but it's mostly an illusion. Loud is the only way to listen to this. Let the waves of distortion and tom rolls wash over you.
Ethereal Gin Barrel Aged Realization
9% ABV
It's no secret by now that I'm a big Beer'd Brewing Co fan. So when I went in for a growler fill and saw barrels hanging that looked to me like they were already filled I had to ask what was in them... what used to be in them... and when it would be coming out. I continued to ask those questions, with slight variations on specificity until the beers were finally released. Now Beer'd doesn't usually do bottles so when they are having a bottle release you know it's a big deal.
The bottle we're focusing on here is their Ethereal Gin Barrel Aged Realization. This imperial IPA was aged for around six months in barrels that used to house Berkshire Mountain Distilleries "Ethereal Gin". It pours a cloudy orange color and smells of tart fruit an something that resembles a pine forest after the rain (beautiful imagery I know but it's even better in person). The first flavors that will hit you are those of the residual gin in the barrel. The alcoholic bite and floral juniper flavors are right up front to great you on your first sip. These flavors are softened and rounded out by a fresh hop finish. I am a firm believer that juniper and hops were a match made in heaven. There is also a slight sweetness from the increased malt bill that brings this beer up to 9% ABV as well as from the oak which the beer was housed in. There is no real boozy kick for 9% beer after the first surprising sip, nothing in the aftertaste. It's also fairly light bodied - there is a bit of an oily mouthfeel but with the hops, oak aging and ABV you have to expect that and it doesn't take away from the overall experience. If you let it warm a little bit you start to get peach notes as well as some sharp mint in the finish. The floral and herbal nature of the beer keeps it refreshing even as it gets a little warmer. Most IPAs are better at colder temps but if you were lucky enough to get a bottle of this, pour one glass and then leave the bottle out as you drink it and then pour your second, you may be surprised with the results. Let's hope that this was enough of a success that Berkshire will hand a few more barrels over to Beer'd and we'll see this masterpiece again.
Hellboy in Hell
"The Descent"
Writer/Artist: Mike Mignola
Holly Hunt is heavy handed on the riffs and Beer'd is heavy handed on the flavor so what better to go along with them then the most heavy handed hero in comics... Hellboy, (get it... heavy handed). I've always seen Hellboy as a hero for the common man. Whether he's hunting down artifacts or monsters on earth or in this case in hell it always seems more like a job than a passion to him. He's good at his job and tries to be good at it but you get the sense that if he had a choice he would much rather just be hanging out drinking beer and fishing. He's got a sarcastic streak that's a mile wide but it's a little more snide than someone like Spiderman. It just feeds his grizzled and world weary persona.
So I apparently missed some things in the Hellboy universe while I was on my hiatus from comics. Namely the fact that he died. The whole ordeal is explained early in first pages of this book but I didn't realize how literal this Hellboy in Hell thing was when I picked it up. Regardless of the setting, Mignola still writes and draws the same as he ever did. His art is unmistakable. His drawings have the feeling of an evil fine artist that was forced to use huge crayons to create his work. The simplicity of his style makes everything very stark and in your face. It also allows for a lot more black and shadow to create the atmosphere. This book is especially heavy on the black, (it's set in hell for god's sake). The drab reds, greys and tans actually pop in comparison to the main colors of the abyss. Believe it or not though this dark and dismal color palette doesn't mire the book in evil.There have always been some scary characters in Hellboy and I'm pretty sure that it's considered to be in the horror genre by most. I've never considered it to be horror though. There is too much snark and adventuring and tongue in cheek writing to be considered horror. If you've been a Hellboy fan then The Descent is everything you loved about the other Hellboy books but instead of a trade full of one or two issue adventures you have a cohesive story running throughout the entire book. Mignola proves to be able to be even more intriguing and intricate with his stories when he allows them time to develop. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot as you would expect from any journey through the depths of hell and it does get confusing at times. I don't know if it's because Mignola is using actual mythological characters that I'm not familiar with or that these beasts showed up in previous Hellboy stories... or if I'm just a little slow on the uptake but I did find myself going back and rereading conversations on previous pages. In complete "normal-guy" fashion though, Hellboy himself seems a bit confused by most of the twists and turns in his journey so that made me feel better. The story is continuing on as we speak so I'm looking forward to seeing how this long running arc works out both for Mignola and Hellboy. Also picking up all the trades I missed out on.
