HMTLD WEST OF EDEN. Lucky Number Music

“West of Eden is a portrait of a civilization on the brink of collapse. This is the world our generation will spend its lives in, and we somehow need to find love and meaning within it. This album is about the struggle that we will all live, and about turning that struggle into joy.” - Henry Spychalski

“A thrillingly ambitious and expansive debut from this hugely exciting band. References: Nine Inch Nails, Bowie, Depeche Mode, Ennio Morricone, Suicide and more. Appreciate that many like bands to stay in ‘their lane’ but I love the variety of sonic on this album. It feels cohesive and it’s highly impressive.”  - Amazon Review

On the track ‘The West Is Dead’: “This is not dystopia, but a mirror up to late capitalism; where we are and where we’re headed. Sick dolphins lap at the tide, the insects have all dropped from the skies and the global economy enters free fall. Ecological catastrophe guaranteed. The West is dead. Atomised, alienated and apathetic.” - Henry Spychalski

Review

With the band’s views and objectives made clear for this record, my review should (at the very least) judge whether the band has succeeded…’The West Is Dead’ opens the album as, as explained by the band’s vocalist, it’s a musical interpretation of the apocalyptic - a stiff challenge. Instrumentally it hits the mark with a driving bass-driven introduction and a talking pace vocal. The song opens out with drums taking a leading role and a hellish curtain of noise that punctuates. The lyrics add credence: “Three years ago I said/The West is dying right underneath our noses/And I’ll be glad if it finally goes/Hate to say I told you so - the West is dead/A sick pod of dolphins lap at teh tide/The West is dead Flipper…” Instrumentally, vocally, lyrically and atmospherically the song hits the bulls-eye. And subsequent events have confirmed…

‘Loaded’ explodes in classic heavy rock style (with a superb guitar riff) and one would think that the pandemic arrived before the song was written: “Hey father, I can feel a/fever eating up this home/in the hallway voices say/kill the things that you love the most…” Instrumentally and melodically it’s dynamite, with choruses that scream “But my gun is fucking loaded.” Cleaned up this should be hitting the airwaves from any radio station that calls itself a rock station (so not BBC Radio 1 then…). Then a complete change of sound with an opening of compelling acoustic guitar chords. ‘The Ballad Of Calamity James’ then opens out in Morricone style with heavy rock overtones (complete with distant backing vocals) and without a break it’s into the next song ‘To The Door’ which sustains the Morricone style - this passage of the album is verging on musical genius.

‘Stan, Luella & I’ changes sound completely with a mix of styles from a more enlightened musical age. It’s a jagged narrative track with keyboards slamming in the background and drums emitting a relentless deadbeat rhythm. There’s melody to back this up and lyrics that are a work of written art: “We’ve been up and down these hills/And found ourselves in different ills/And I met Satan in a cheap motel/She talked at length about Orson Wells/You were washed up on the shore/Lamb blood ran down your door…”

‘Why’ changes sound again with an adventurous mix of strings and high-pitched voices lending interest to this very original composition. Whichever way to look at this record it delivers surprise after surprise, with acres of diversity and mood. Check out the simple, stripped back trad bouncing tones of ‘Where’s Joanna’ with its strong melody and multi-layered vocal spells. ‘Death Drive’ reveals a stuttered instrumental backdrop and distant echoed vocal before it opens up to an intensive Bowie style rocker. It’s complex, highly original and arguably the most adventurous track here.

‘Nobody Stays In Love’ is a doom-laden ditty while MMXX A.D. changes tack again with a heavily instrumental track with a distant vocal commentary. It’s brief and joins ‘Blank Slate’ with its Depech Mode sonic likeness. Finally ‘War Is Looming’, a spitting punk song that metamorphoses into a pop-rock ballad but totally unconventional complete with child vocal choruse, and ending with a suitably desperate vocal plea.

This record is a major musical achievement for the band and its both fortunate and unfortunate to have landed in these difficult time - lyrical prophesies delivered but at a time of commercial challenge for the music industry, and especially for debut album releases. But this record deserves to be heard as it’s exceptional and stunningly entertaining, with a highly relevant central theme. In short, the band has succeeded in their musical aims and objectives. Essential.

5/5