| Album: Twisted Halo
Artist: Twisted Halo
Label: Guilty Pleasure Records
Rating: 4
There's something odd about this new band – not the least of which is that they don't sound like anybody else.
It's rare that a band makes it the point of going DIY (Do It Yourself) in the local industry intentionally. But then again, Twisted Halo has always gone its own way, from their three-guitar, bass and drum line-up to their sonic wall of sound in live gigs. If anything, the sound they have is unrelenting – they make no apologies for their sound, their lyrics and their anti-exploitation stance. The first song, "White on Yellow", is a slow rock song of sorts, but the layers of guitar sounds and dynamics makes it very different from how other "normal songs" sound like, having a sense of space and economy, even when the song itself goes crazy. "Grohl on Me", the next track, is somewhere in between punk, new wave, and noise rock, but it handles the balance pretty well, creating their classic wall of sound in your head – no live bar needed!
"The Bean Curve" is something a bit more indie-pop-ish, and it can actually fit into the NU107 charts (calling NU107…). "Brad" has some aural similarity to the way Yano's "Banal Na Aso" was recorded, but that's where the similarity ends; the song itself is paranoid in the verses, opening to a plaintive chorus. It dissolves into a guitar fest that makes for good listening. "Untitled #4" is as disturbing as it gets; to say anything else would ruin the lyrical horror. "Hiram" verges into prog-rock/metal, but is musically the most impressive of the tracks in the album. Finally, there's a "hidden track" that is about as punk as they can get.
The sonic sensibilities of the band are dead-on for what they're doing, and this is a plus factor. No need for them to find their own sound; this is what they are. You can find their albums being sold at their gigs, or you can ask some of their sibling bands for copies: Fatal Posporos and Sugar Free.
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