Monday, October 24, 2011

Heathen Hoof - Rock Crusader

 
Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Finland
Year: 2011
Label: Metal Warning

Finland's Heathen Hoof is definitely a Very Cool Band. They mix influences from early NWOBHM, classic early-80s American heavy metal, and 70s hard rock to arrive at a timeless sound that really delivers. I was a big fan of their The Occult Sessions EP, so when their full-length dropped I was all smiles. This is really just a good, solid, unpretentious album brimming with honesty and a vibe that these guys really, really love rock 'n' roll and classic heavy metal. This album is almost too short to be a full-length, clocking in at barely over a half hour, and I wish it were longer because this is great music. The guitars have a kind of low-gain crunch to them, and the vocals are a gritty, throaty snarl that bring to mind bands like Tank or Motörhead. The songs in general are pretty much a timewarp back thirty years, but not in a hackneyed or smug way. It's 100% honest and heartfelt, like these guys are writing music like this because they couldn't imagine writing anything else, not because they're riding some kind of 'retro' trend. I feel like this band is probably best experienced live - there's just a kind of electric energy to it that seems like it would truly come to life in a live setting. Regardless, this album kicks ass and you'd do well to check it out. Righteous.

For fans of Tank, Metal Inquisitor, Motörhead, and Desolation Angels.

2 comments:

  1. Given that I will be expending a year in Finland, I expected to have the chance to see these guys live. But it turns out that one of the guys from the band had an injury or something and they won't be playing anytime soon... Fuuuuuuu---

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