If the Manson family were to rob armored trucks, they might look like Never a Hero, a quintet of masked bandits who dare to mix the devil’s metal with classical and dubstep.
Hailing from Suffolk in the UK, Never a Hero released their debut EP Socially Awkward in 2010. And a few months ago saw the arrival of their new album Bleed Between the Lies.
The opening track introduces a good bit of tension during its brief tenure. I can’t discern every lyric, but the British accent rings through the chorus.
There are some wild electronic influences at work in “Burning Skies.” Is it possible to convey the sound of radioactivity?
“The Call” starts with a touching classical melody, soon tweaked with electronica, then pumped full of metal.
“Screams of Silence” starts with a haunting piano melody, soon joined by some gorgeous guitar work.
[youtube O28GBmMdkjI]“Days of Patience” has the most pleasing vocals of any track so far.
“Between” is a short instrumental piece that I truly like, and believe would make a fine complement to a mournful piece of cinema.
“Untouchable” showcases some virtuosic guitar chops.
“Dreamcatcher” offers some fine crunchy, evil-sounding riffs a la Black Label Society. Not entirely without merit are the lyrics:
“Pull back your skin / So I can see your soul”
Probably not the best pickup line, but a memorable image nonetheless.
The track “Stalked” begins on an engaging note, with fast-paced piano and a bit of flute in the background. A dual-vocal track takes hold, and the song winds its way toward a rather feverish pitch.
The album concludes with its title track, a short instrumental piece that is really quite brilliant. It’s like a more frantic version of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”
Given the band’s masked appearance and devilish decibels, comparisons to Slipknot are likely inevitable. In my view, you can’t go wrong with either.
This album offers sounds ranging from the therapeutic to the throat-slitting. It’s an eerie cocktail indeed!
Never a Hero has already garnered more than 500,000 YouTube viewers.
Ray Cavanaugh – owleyesgatsby@yahoo.com
