In all the iterations of rock, metal and punk that is popular now, my favorite must be punk-metal. Occasionally when rap is involved, I love it too, as in the case of FEVER 333. The Longest Hall is a trio of brothers playing blistering punk-metal, and they’ve been doing it forever. Their latest album is called One Short Ride, and is a catalogue of flamboyant, energetic punk-rock/metal tracks. Let’s get into the album.
Sonic fuel with canned energy
Prepping the board with After the Fall, the band only need the first few seconds to show you what is going to go down. The ambitious opening lives up to its promise, with riffs, the four chord favorite changes and some insane drumming that holds up their end of the bargain. The vocals seem to be off-pitch in some places, but that doesn’t interfere with the superior zeal they approach the track with.
And I thought it would go completely grunge from there. In the Distance opens with a snare flam, and you know purists roll their eyes like a barrage of barrels falling down a hill when they hear that. However, The Longest Hall make some Billy Talent style noise, with an opening solo and some inspirational lyrics. If the goal is within my sight line and this is my character soundtrack, you can bank on me finishing with a bang. The scale changes and sudden dynamic shift in the song character makes it uncharacteristic from punk but adds their own awesome signature.
Out of Nowhere is a melodic memoir of the brothers’ experience with their guides. Taking an experience like this and making it into a rocking track like this-kudos! The quick paced song is a salute to their shining, guiding stars, and that’s also why it makes sense that this effort translates. The chorus section is perfection, with the boys pouring their hearts out. The closing is especially written very well, with the softer section giving a path to the chorus for the last time.
The Meager challenges Hetfield’s riffing hand, with the opening at least. It is a quick shuffle before blasting into the chaos of punk metal, the riff sounding very Trivium with the delivery and riff system. With a unique chorus section, the progression for the song relies heavier on the volume of guitars and the space it takes in the track.
To the roots of punk-rock
The title track for the album is a great start with the riff and lick. The metaphor is for the short, unpredictable life we all live, and some questions that we constantly thirst answers for. The absurdism encompassed in the song makes it sure of one thing, we don’t know, and probably never will. Purpose has been a question that has been asked about a lot, and in this case rocked out soundly. The bridge between verses is the most exciting part of The Longest Hall’s delivery system. Concentrate on the breakdown for this track to understand how to make a catchy and memorable track.
Sweet Transvestite is a proper hard rock smasher. The AC/DC Big Balls style riff makes this ascending melody with a tale to tell a great song in this playlist. Making it dependent on the riff, they smash out another 2 and a half minutes of headbanging energy. The story from Transylvania slowly catches up to a quicker pace and then back to storytelling. Might not be for everyone to submerge themselves in.
Closing with fanfare, the Monty Python memories come flooding back, marking the end of the album. The Longest Hall are fantastic musicians, with incredible instrumental capabilities and songwriting structure. Out of Nowhere and One Short Ride are the best tracks without a doubt, while Sweet Transvestite might fall a bit flat for a few because of the shorter riff exploration. The opening song is great as well, however, there are parts where the vocals seem a bit off pitch. Nevertheless, their album doesn’t derail from the tracks of rock for this one short ride.
Listen to their album here:
Check out our playlists here!
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
