ALBUM REVIEW: Freak Of Nature – Heart Attack Man

Rising punk band HEART ATTACK MAN are back with their third full-length album Freak Of Nature. The record itself acts as self-reflection for lead vocalist Eric Egan regarding his mental state in his 20s of feeling confused, anxious, and incredibly out of place; the overarching theme seems to be about growing up and growing past who he once was. Given this context we are relieved considering some of the topics covered in some lyrics, otherwise we’d be incredibly concerned – well, to put it mildly.

Opening song Practiced In The Mirror acts as an intro track to set the tone for the album. It begins with some nature sounds with water and birdsong before a grungy guitar joins in and gradually drowns out the noise. As soon as the vocals start, they set melancholic tone that’s added to as the full band slowly comes in and things start to build in intensity. As we wait for a drop or a breakdown to hit us, we can’t help but notice the marching band style that feels slightly reminiscent of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE’s Welcome To The Black Parade. A breakdown doesn’t arrive, but we are then hit with distortion that acts as a blend into the title track itself that shifts the tone from melancholy to fast, bouncy pop-punk complete with fast instrumentals and catchy hooks. The anthemic chorus only adds to the fun where you already want to sing along with a smile on your face.

HEART ATTACK MAN seem to have a perfect balance between having fun songs that make you want to dance and jump around accompanied by lyrics that are dark in nature, but sometimes the album does enter concerning territory. There’s a lot of violent imagery within the lyrics that we know is a reflection of a previous mental state, but without that information you are likely to be taken aback by some of the scenes depicted. Like A Kennedy, complete with a news broadcast covering the assassination of JFK, has lyrics about wanting to be taken out “like a Kennedy” that leave us worried, with a gun shot at the end that adds to the shock factor; C4, on the outside a fast pop-punk track that feels like a mixture between REAL FRIENDS and THE OFFSPRING’s The Kids Aren’t Alright, has the line “I rigged the room with explosives” that leaves us thinking, “wait what?!”.

HEART ATTACK MAN certainly have the combination of fun sounds, dark lyrics mastered, maybe a bit too much in some cases, but it certainly hits close to home for the most part. They can successfully convey a mood that leaves us feeling a certain way with self-deprecation and frustrations towards the world around them. Freak Of Nature is a solid record, if rather intense.

Rating: 7/10

Freak Of Nature is out now via self-release.

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