Oh The Humanity!

Oh The Humanity!

Written by: PP on 26/03/2021 22:06:53

"Oh The Humanity!" is the sophomore album by a Massachusetts-based band with the same name, formed by five friends who wanted to play music that would essentially intersect their collective tastes. So let's see here... Millencolin pre "Pennybridge Pioneers"-era, their favorite A Wilhelm Scream record is "Mute Print", and they're probably mates with their Canadian equivalent in MUTE? Sound about right?

That's basically "Oh The Humanity!" in a nutshell. The technical fretwork is arguably the closest anyone's come to sounding like the mighty A Wilhelm Scream or Belvedere, the tight guitars and breakneck speed tempo take us to the late 90s style Swedish skate punk realm, and the cleaner vocals correlate with the melodic style of punk rock in general. It's a complex, intricate sound that's characterized by its thoroughly impressive guitar work complete with tapped melodies back-and-forth at insane speeds, where the vocals and rest of the instrumentation are left in what feels like a supporting role here. There are exceptions, like the FEST-themed "Everyone In Gainesville (Looks Like Someone I Know)" which is arguably the catchiest on the record, or "Future Killer", where the band channels their inner Propagandhi vocally, but holistically the record is strongest in the guitar department.

Unfortunately, the production leaves much to be desired. The balance of instruments and vocals suggests this is either a DIY or a low-budget production given the way it constantly feels like either the vocals overpower the instrumentation, or the guitars drown everything beneath them. It's a shame, because it's a tight sound with some potential, although out of the eleven tracks on offer here, there are maybe three or four worth highlighting. It's one of those more 'local' or DIY style bands that sounds pretty good but is unlikely to catch the attention of the wider scene at this point.

6

Download: Everyone In Gainesville (Looks Like Someone I Know), Future Killer, At Our Lowest
For the fans of: MUTE, A Wilhelm Scream, Millencolin, Atlas Losing Grip, Belvedere
Listen: Facebook

Release date 16.04.2021
Hellminded Records

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