Band's List Stoner Chickenhawk A. Or Not?

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this CD, the front cover gave nothing away and all I was told was that it was “stoner metal”, which really could be anything. Let me warn you, this CD is fantastic and not stoner metal at all.” A. Or Not?” ticks all the boxes needed to make an energetic, awesome, and near enough faultless offering.

I don’t really know why people know these guys as Stoner Metal, there’s nothing stoner about them. But nonetheless, this is better than stoner. This is better than nearly any UK metal record I’ve heard. I’ve never heard a metal record with such energy, aesthetic hate, and just pure metal atmosphere before. There is something so unique about this that sets it apart from nearly every other band in this abstract genre.

Even though there is only 3 songs to this demo, it is definitely enough to get everyone in the mood that is required to listen to this music. We start with “I Hate This. Do You Like It?”, which is my personal favourite on the CD. I love the way it starts, it just gets you in the mood to nod your head to the relentless beat of the palm-muted guitar riffs and the drumbeat. Sets an omen of something heavy and brilliant to come, and it really doesn’t disappoint. If I was to try to describe this in musical terms, I’d probably fail. But think about this. Really heavy drumbeats, really unique riffs that imprint themselves in your mind, guttural vocals but with a really nice scream-like twist, and totally faultless transitions between each section of the song, and you have Chickenhawk. This song is astoundingly brilliant.

Even where the other songs aren’t as strong as the first one, each of them are still really REALLY good. They combine every strong point of the first song, just differently. Faultless transitions, totally energetic and brilliant instrumentation, and a wonderfully unique guttural vocal style. There is something so unique and brilliant about this, it is a truly astounding effort from a band that really needs to be known more.

This is the first band I’ve ever heard in this style that has actually impressed me to the point of banging my head in pure metal glee. There is something so unique and brilliant about Chickenhawk, the riffs just make you want to be energetic and get yourself in a mosh pit and just beat the hell out of every living thing in sight, spectacular stuff. Chickenhawk, you can expect to see me in your audience from now on.

(It’s also worth noting that there is a video for “I Hate This. Do You Like It” and “NASA VS ESA”. The video for “I Hate This. Do You Like It?” is totally brilliant, head on over to YouTube and search it.)