Huntsmen: Connection Through Story
Storytelling has long been a part of music, and when done well it can be utterly captivating. Even when limited to simple song inspiration, bands have ample opportunity to tell enthralling stories. Spread that across to fully fledged concepts and you have the opportunity for even more depth and detail that can drag an album into the all time classic category. Think Crack the Skye by MASTODON, or anything by THE OCEAN for examples of some of the best concept albums money can buy, and some of the most immersive music in the world exists within the conceptual metal world. A band that was born with storytelling at the core of its creativity, HUNTSMEN are seeking to take their own brand of American doom and connect with anyone who wants to take a chance on them.
Bassist Marc Najjar admits that he never expected the international acclaim and attention they have currently been receiving in the moments prior to the release of Mandala of Fear, the group’s latest and most expansive release to date. Clocking in at 85 minutes long, the epic doom laden story follows a nameless soldier trying to survive an apocalyptic world. Her character narratively linked to previous works by HUNTSMEN, as is the villain of the Mandala story, it shows that there is a level of depth here that most bands will never achieve.
In a world of rapid consumption, it’s interesting that Marc doesn’t seem concerned about the way in which listeners enjoy HUNTSMEN’s music. Whilst it is by far most enjoyable listening front to back, the concept is second to the music on Mandala of Fear. “It was therapeutic for the vocalist and primary vocalist Christ Kang who had just come out of back surgery and was in recovery from that, and that’s where the ideas for the album started coming about; all 80 minutes of it!” With the music and story penned during the recovery time, it draws parallels to BARONESS‘ Purple album, that had an overarching theme of recovery embedded across multiple stand alone songs. Mandala of Fear indeed carries a collection of unique tracks, but as Marc continues to explain. “We all decided it’s just one piece. It tells a whole story and we wanted to present it out there as one whole package.”
HUNTSMEN are stood in stark contrast to the current trend of short attention spans and rapid consumption. Perhaps that is what makes them so unique alongside their sound of heavy and beautiful vocal harmonies interwoven with diverse and heavy guitar work. In an effort to truly connect with the audience, Marc explains how the band comes together to ensure the story and the themes that come across are things that everyone in the band can relate to, thus ensuring an emotional level the music that becomes one of the most profound aspects of Mandala of Fear.
Where HUNTSMEN truly begin to take root in complexity is their ability to be inspired and influenced by their own material. “The soldier in Mandala of Fear, we kinda draw that inspiration from The Barren on American Scrap,” explains Marc, as well as confirming the colonel from the eponymous EP is the same colonel who terrorizes our protagonist, HUNTSMEN display a level of continuity reserved for only the most patient of creatives, and as a result provides a near endless level of reward for the fans who are willing to follow the band on their journey. Because, as Marc admits; “eventually there’s going to be a conclusion to all of this.”
The conversation quickly travels to other forms of storytelling media, and how HUNTSMEN are releasing a comic book alongside the new record to provide a visual element for their epic story. With so much going on, and this being the band’s second full length in a relatively short career, is there potential that HUNTSMEN are setting a pretty high bar for themselves? “I think it’s important to do what feels right. If we feel the need to do this for the next record, if it’s an EP or a new album, who knows. We don’t even know if we’re going to continue this story for the next album.” Taking things as they come might be the best way to go with regards to HUNTSMEN, but there is at least the reminder that anything the group does will be done to the utmost extreme in and strive to deliver the best story and presentation possible. Something a lot of bands could take lessons from.
Standing firmly aside from the rest of the pack, HUNTSMEN have established themselves as a surefire escape from the modern realm. Their music and approach to storytelling comes together in a wonderfully unique final product that works both as an entire long form piece or as bite sized chunks of consumption from a fast moving audience. Being able to draw parallels from their own creativity whilst also injecting personal emotions and stories in the narrative helps make HUNTSMEN one of the most interesting and immersive bands in recent years. Marc admits that he just wants to connect with people, and that remains the key goal for his music. With albums as expansive and honest as Mandala of Fear, any fan pining for something more will instantly connect with not only the music, but the band as well.
Mandala of Fear is out now via Prosthetic Records.
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