ALBUM REVIEW: From Hell To Here – Himalayas
From Cardiff emerges rock quartet HIMALAYAS and their debut full-length From Hell To Here. The story behind the band is one of those classic tales of four friends at school who bonded over their love of music, namely ARCTIC MONKEYS, THE LIBERTINES and THE STROKES, and had a shared dream of making a record of their own. Things gradually fell into place, and it looked like nothing could stop them towards the end of 2019; but most of you can already guess the upcoming struggles of 2020, and then there was also personal turmoil when lead vocalist and guitarist Joe Williams abruptly fell into a coma following a show.
Fortunately, Williams has since made a full recovery and has started to have a new outlook on life which he aimed to translate onto the band’s debut album, a goal that has been ultimately achieved with the band sounding so confident and unstoppable. Opening with the title track, listeners are greeted with an alarm blaring that then nicely intertwines with the band as everything kicks off on a track that feels like grunge meets blues rock and draws heavy comparisons to ROYAL BLOOD. Combine that with a catchy chorus and a rhythm that has you bopping along, things start out strong and refuse to slow down from here.
As stated, HIMALAYAS‘ sound draws heavy influence from grunge and blues rock, as well as indie-rock, with a twist with there being a dark vibe that adds a cool, sultry atmosphere and leaves you intrigued. Somebody Else is a perfect example of this as it opens with rather creepy sound effects that blend into feedback before the band introduce dark drum beats and bass that leaves you sat back in awe, further confirmed by its incredible production and instrumental breakdown.
Furthermore, the band’s musical influences come through strongly with some easy comparisons drawn to ARCTIC MONKEYS especially; Into The Trap is a perfect example of what would happen if the Sheffield rockers went in a more bluesy direction, more specifically if Alex Turner were to collaborate with ROYAL BLOOD, which is every bit as captivating as it sounds. Another example is After Time that goes off in many directions; first we’re greeted by what sounds like a creepy piano that has us feeling like we’re about to start a murder mystery film, yet as the track goes on, we can easily imagine this being used for a Bond movie. We’re not kidding, go and listen to it and you’ll see.
From Hell To Here is an incredible album with a stunning production that helps to convey such an intriguing atmosphere and has the listener captivated throughout with catchy hooks and dark sounds. There’s nothing more we could ask for here.
Rating: 8/10
From Hell To Here is out now via Nettwerk.
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