The Heavy Eyes – S/T ...

Sometimes, I love being wrong. See, not too long ago, I reviewed the promo EP from these guys, and I said that it was a good thing the EP was short, because with this much groove and rock, our mortal brains couldn’tve handled it. Good news is, I was wrong, humans are able to listen to it, barely, but still. Even better news is, it’s a pretty amazing piece of work, too.

Luckily, our brains can handle it by generating copious amounts of serotonin. This album, running just over forty minutes in eleven songs, is one bundle of joy for those who enjoy their rock with lots of groove. Let me explain: The Heavy Eyes play heavy rock tinged with 70’s groove and stoner undertones. The guitarwork is groovy beyond belief and at time, jammy – they love adding small improvisational passages or variations on the riffs they were playing previously. Rumbling bass. Drumming that is sometimes so rapid that despite being told the drummer uses a single bass pedal, I find it hard to believe. One thing that stands out, what always stood out, was the vocal approach – the vocals are enjoyable, the lyrics good and delivery very catchy, which is a welcome break from a variety of bands that treat vocals like a second-tier element. The album also retains a certain lo-fi edge, it’s not completely lo-fi, of course, but has a raw sound to it, which is just what this band needs, if you ask me.

One more thing: the full-length includes the four tracks in the promo, so I will be using my earlier review as a reference point for those. Props to the band for having those tracks placed so well that they don’t disturb the flow of the album. Oh, and I will likely say “groove” a lot, because hey, that’s what this album is all about.

So. The album kicks off with “5%” which begins with a studio sound: “Ready?” It’s a valid question, because while it just begins with a rather simple groove it quickly moves on to the guitars laying down the same riff, moving up the fretboard and thinning the sound of it, the bass rumbles on and the drums lift up the whole thing. It’s one hell of an opener. Then comes the drum-driven “Pinwheel” setting the tone to a very nice stomper with the start-stop parts: instruments stop when the vocals kick in. The trick on this one is: the guitars play the main groove, move up and thin it, and then start playing different solos before re-uniting somewhere in the middle. It’s still an amazing track and fits incredibly.

Third in line is “Iron Giant” which is about a “tall, defiant Iron Giant.” The song itself is a giant as well, with impressive and top-notch grooves, pounding drums (that, at times, baffle me at how these rhythms are being pulled off with a single bass pedal) and good bass. The vocal delivery is especially delectable on this one, but what sets the tone is the rise-fall groove structure put forth by the guitars. Then comes “Voytek” which settles into an angular groove and at a comfortable pace. The song centers around the main riff and moves along using the variations of it – that is held together by excellent drums. This song shines in its transitions between various parts, as there are many riffs and they transition well.

As if to change the pace a bit, the band introduces bluesy guitars with “Wax Apple” which is about a man who can’t help but waste all of his money on girls. With quiet, easy-going, soft groove setting the tone, the band displays their typical flair by transforming the same groove into a rockin’ hook. The solo section is incredible, but the song is all about the flow – the movement of the story told in very nice vocals and good lyrics, and movement from the slow and steady to the delicious guitarwork. Nice. Next up is our bait-and-switch song, “Where is Wilder?” See, it begins with this heavy rock intro, a bit somber and resembling somewhat doomy variations of rock, but it quickly switches that up to a moving, good groove and incorporates what is otherwise somewhat introspective riff into the song by using it as a hook – brilliant song writing, that’s what that is. But, the actual bait-and-switch comes at the end, where the band seem to be meandering at a passage, right before launching into the two-minutes-plus jammy grooves marked by angular guitar work, nice soloing, bass leads and pounding drums, leading to a rockin’ finish.

As if to continue the last track, “It’s Been so Long” is one seriously, overtly rocking track. Its’ a stomping, raging track marked by soaring vocals, aggressive guitars and very, very good leads. Riffs are good, the solos are mind-blowing and the band takes a tangent of sorts: see, after a certain part, as a bridge, the band plays the earlier sections a bit faster and introduce a little variation, but they manage to shift the mood entirely with it. Interesting, to say the least, and the in-studio banter asks at the end, “How do you feel about that?” Well, I feel good, thank you. Then comes “In Need” which is best described as a flurry of riffs – the riffing feels like a surge, onwards and over you, crashing across the riverbed. The mid-tempo churner has very nice lyrics and a catchy hook as always, and jammy grooves move it along and you know what you are in need of – more of this. So much more of it.

Not one to shirk from giving more, the album continues with “Drifter” which kicks off with this rockin’ bass line thumping. The guitars follow that bass line and add a little bit of variation at the end. The song has a sharper edge, but it is displayed in the typical Heavy Eyes style, with jam-like variations and surging, rushing riffs that flow into one another and are held together with thunderous drumming and rumbling bass. Next up is “Supermoon.” This is one of the more technical moments of the album, the guitars and the bass angling themselves at a certain geometric position and the vocals providing the needed touch to smooth the rough edges, and the dirty drums are a joy to listen to.

The ride comes to an end with “Wolf Tickets,” which opens like how every closer should: warm, somber but glad to have taken the ride at all. It opens with a riff that’s a little more on the technical side, but quickly moves onto the rockin’ pastures we have known The Heavy Eyes for. This is one of the harder tracks on the record, with the band choosing bass, drum attacks and sharp-as-a-razor guitarwork and riffs aplenty (that transition well and make the track sound like a jam in and of itself) to go out with a bang. The track is hard to get a hold of, as it’s constantly on the move and rarely keeps to one riff, and the fact that they manage to condense so many into a singular track, the closer at that, is… wow, man. Just wow.

IF YOU’D ASK HOW WELL THE HEAVY EYES FARED, I’D SAY, PRETTY WELL. The album rocks, grooves, stomps and moves start to finish. Riffs aplenty, grooves abound and everything is held together by excellent musicianship and harmonious instrumentalization. The songs are incredibly well-structured, the album flows well, the lyrics and vocals are very good, the drumming is mind-blowing and the guitars… speechless on that front. And, I think, still, one plus is that the album does well not to wear out its welcome. It’s perfect at the length it is, any more and it could get a little challenging, any less I would just say that it could do with another song perhaps. So yeah, this album is a well-thought out, well-executed and well-structured. Not one song repeats, and though some elements are constant, it’s good that they are. It’s a heavy, riff-tastic, mind-blowing beast of an album. A well-deserved, well-earned 10/10. Get it good.

Words: Sarp Esin




The Heavy Eyes @ Bandcamp