ALBUM REVIEW: Rue – Hellions

By now, the point has been well and truly hammered home just how great Australia is for heavy music. The scene is deeper than you might expect though, and there are more unsung heroes for the ones that are regularly lauded. For every PARKWAY DRIVE, there is a HELLIONS, a scrappy but creative young band carving out their own unique niche within a scene often saturated with re-hashed ideas and creative bankruptcy.

What HELLIONS were able to achieve on their previous and incredible Opera Oblivia record was proving to the world that hardcore doesn’t have to be brutality and fights, instead showing a fairer side to the notorious genre. HELLIONS are now on the cusp of releasing their follow up, Rue, and despite the infectious melodies that scatter the record, they really just want everyone to know that all we have is each other.

One of the most refreshing things about HELLIONS is their utter fearlessness to follow their own creativity without prejudice. Opener (Blueberry) bobs along with its fairground melody, giving the record a grand and unexpected introduction before Odyssey fully kicks the party up a notch. Cementing the bands ability to write absolute earworm choruses, the song rides a simple bass line and oozes the bands trademark positivity. As it bleeds into X (Mwah), the energy is kept high and vocalist Dre Faivre uses this song to further stake his claim as a truly excellent frontman as he squeezes syllables into melodies that any normal person would stumble over.

The crunch of the guitars and bass are heard in good health throughout the record, but HELLIONS opt for less riffs this time round, instead going further down their pop-rock rabbit hole and keeping the heavier aspect in their back pocket for rainier days. Smile proves this to be a wise decision, as the ‘I’m ready to run’ refrain loops the song in between show stopping choruses and guitar leads that shine through the balanced mix, turning the single into one of the bands premier songs.

The balancing act the band do with the pacing is well done, as the dotting of smaller interludes across Rue creates gentle passages between the softer Furrow and the titular track that boasts some of the finest lyrics the band have penned to date, blending optimism in their words with the slower, more thoughtful musical approach. Up until this point in the record, the consistency not only thematically but within the quality of song as well is arguably the best work the band have ever done, and the surging joy of the record not being over yet begins to settle in.

The Lotus hearkens back to their previous album, making a strong creative connection between the bodies of work whereas Get Up boasts a soiree into the rap-rock arena with decent results. By the final moments of 26, after having an involuntary boogie to Harsh Light, it’s clear that HELLIONS aren’t just kids catching lightning in a bottle. No, these lads are working with magic, and they’re able to craft something unique in a day and age where bland is the flavour of choice.

Rating: 9/10

Rue is set for release on October 19th via UNFD. 

For more information on HELLIONS like their official page on Facebook.