Heavy Song of the Week is a Heavy Consequence feature that breaks down the best metal and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, the top spot goes to The Jesus Lizard for their excellent comeback single “Hide & Seek.”
Noise rock legends The Jesus Lizard are back in action, and their comeback single “Hide & Seek” marks a rousing return for the Austin band.
There's always a hint of uncertainty when approaching a band's first new music in more than 20 years: What effect has the passage of time had on a beloved group with a signature sound like The Jesus Lizard?
Well… as for music, not too much.
“Hide & Seek” – from the upcoming album Shelf — cooks like the band's classic '90s material. A punchy post-punk beat gives way to angular, dissonant chords and the howls and screams of frontman David Yow, whose singular approach to vocals (shouted rather than sung) challenges age. Not only does this sound like vintage Jesus Lizard, but it also has the same patented urgency… a key ingredient.
Honorable mentions:
MC5 – “Children who play with matches”
MC5 is another iconic band releasing their first new music in decades (53 years in this case), though it sadly comes after classic members Wayne Kramer and Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson passed away earlier this year. Kramer co-wrote (with singer Brad Brooks) 12 of the upcoming album's 13 songs. heavy lifting, including the first single “Boys Who Play with Matches”. He's a loose, gritty blues rocker with sizzling guitar solos and a standout vocal performance from Brooks, who sounds a bit like Brant Bjork of Kyuss fame.
Poppy – “New departure”
Never one to stick to one genre or style for long, Poppy delivers a crisp, modern pop-metal sound on her latest single, “New Way Out.” Electro-industrial beats meet huge stadium rock chords and a decisive pop vocal melody during the verses, while the choruses are pure nu-metal a la Evanescent, with Poppy's voice rising above a melancholic tone.
Sanguisugabogg – “Permanently screwed”
Sanguisugabogg exploits old school death metal on “Permanfully Fucked”. All the obligatory OSDM hallmarks are here: indecipherable guttural vocals, bloody lyrics, and a drumbeat that's so tight it borders on nostalgia. The 'bogg also love their muddy death breakdowns, and they make sure to include a couple of those mosh-inducing sections in this five-minute extreme metal melee.
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