Huron – The Dead Stay Dead

Photo by Leigh Drinkwater Photography

It will not be the first time that UK metallers Huron will have majorly stirred up acclaim and attention with a release but their stunning new album, The Dead Stay Dead is surely going to ensure that the band is regarded as one of the big boys from hereon in. As mentioned, previous encounters have all drawn strong support and praise from media and fans alike but their new and easily finest proposal to date is a band reshaping and igniting not only their own creative landscape but the metal scene around them.

Formed towards the end of 2007, Plymouth hailing Huron has worked through many line-ups changes which seem to have only help spark new potency and power in their fusion of progressive, thrash, and melodic metal and the increasingly impressive releases it fuelled. Debut album Cheyne Stoking lured strong praise and focus with its release in 2009, the band’s live reputation only being enhanced as they toured the UK in support. Its successor Mary Celeste whipped up an even feistier storm of acclaim across fans and media in 2011, its success matched a year later by the War Party EP. Performances at the likes of Download, Bulldog Bash, and Bloodstock followed whilst a British tour with Skindred was just one more live triumph to add to shows with bands such as One Machine, Onslaught, Evile, Alestorm, Ill Niño, and Viking Skull over the years. As the outstanding The Dead Stay Dead lights an expected touch paper to the strongest spotlights upon the band yet, this year looks set to emulate and surpass the successful twelve months the band had in 2015 and show Huron to be the new big roar in modern metal.

Mixed and mastered by Justin Hill (SikTh) and produced by guitarist Rimmy Sinclair, The Dead Stay Dead opens with The Ark Of Deucalion. A provocative sonic mist first wraps ears before intensive riffery from Sinclair and Chris Smith descends venomously on the senses driven by the barbarous beats of drummer David Parsons and the predatory throaty lures of Rohan James’ bass. It is a swiftly compelling and anthemic incitement built on the contagion of thrash but quickly showing the hefty weave of textures and styles now in the Huron sound as it evolves under the antagonistic roar of vocalist Sean Palmer, who has since left the band with James taking over the vocal spot. Darkly celestial harmonies only add to the drama within the blazing cauldron of craft and intensity, at times the track almost like a merger of Slayer, Devin Townsend, and now demised UK band Mishkin.

Huron Cover artwork_RingMaster Review The striking start is soon eclipsed by the album’s title track, The Dead Stay Dead a predator quickly stalking ears and imagination with its scything rhythms and sizzling tendrils of sonic spice. Vocals assault and ripen the appetite as the song matches their bait with aggressive kind but it is when the track slips into something more melodically comfortable with clean vocals to match, that a great song opens its full temptation. It is irresistible, an ugly duckling evolving into blooming beauty and back with Jekyll And Hyde frequency for the thickest contagion.

Santa Muerte slips in next with a sinister climate and grievous intent in its rhythms and riffs. As in its predecessors, tortuously swinging grooves bind ears and an already greedy appetite whilst the raw vocal tones collude with the open animosity in the thrash bred and increasingly dynamic ferocity devouring the senses. Exhaustion and joy is the by-product of the blistering encounter, ears basking in the melodic enterprise searing their flesh and the rapacious imagination seducing their depths before both Pyschosis and Murder Hole unleash their venomous rancor and creative rabidity. The first of the two is a thunderous onslaught with a death thrash tendency to its equally tenacious weave of infection loaded flavours and ideation. Infused further by the burning prowess of guitars and solo it makes for one glorious collision between song and lust emulated again in its successor, a song which wraps itself in more recognisable thrash spices a la Metallica and proceeds to twist and re-weave those flavours into something far more primal and inventive with another dose of excellent clean vocal adding to the great diversity.

Managing to be brutish and seductive, the mouth-watering Despina feverishly rampages on ears like a cultured barbarian next whilst Bastard King emerges from atmospheric shadows to infest body and psyche with its sonic trespasses and rhythmic predation like a vampiric temptress taking the imagination on a ride through the darkest fearsome scenery. Both again are individual in their nature and bodies but united in igniting the passion with their invasive and imposingly addictive adventures through they are slightly outshone by the merciless virulence of The Spirit Of Hate & Vengeance. Like Black Dahlia Murder meets System Of A Down with Bloodsimple in close attention, to try and give a hint to its insatiable tempest, the track is manna to the metal feeding passions and for personal tastes the king amongst only great warriors on the album.

With the militant natured Bokanovsky’s Process and the flaming progressive subtlety of Solace, band and album continue to beat and thrill; the cunning twists and resourceful stalking of the senses by the first contrasted by the melodically poetic and cantankerously intrusive might of the second. Again each song has its own creative agenda and voice to keep the rich variety to the album flowing before Fresh & Thorns brings The Dead Stay Dead to a fearsomely rugged and invigoratingly rousing close. There is a hint of Mudvayne to the violent wantonness and canny maze of biting textures of the track, yet as everywhere any hints offered to songs in reference to others are slim hues in something uniquely Huron.

It has been a fair while between albums but the time has seen Huron escalate their craft, imagination, and fiercely flavoured confrontation of sound. The Dead Stay Dead is the proof from a band ready and undoubtedly equipped to take on the world.

The self-released The Dead Stay Dead is available from February 12^th through all platforms and outlets.

https://www.facebook.com/Huronofficial https://twitter.com/huron_uk

Pete RingMaster 11/02/2016

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Keeping The Fires Raging: An Interview With Rimmy Sinclair of Huron

Dec5

2012 has been a mighty year for UK metallers Huron, from an impressive release to open the year through major festival successes and ending with an intense tour with one of the best metal bands around, and that is just the highlights. So when we had the opportunity for an end of year report to find out more with guitarist Rimmy Sinclair and see what the future may hold from the band we could not ask our questions fast enough.

Hi Rimmy and welcome to The Ringmaster Review

Thanks for taking time to speak with us on the eve of what will be a busy month for you.

Looking back this past year has been a hugely successful and busy year for the band; how has it been on the inside of things and have you been able to take stock and acknowledge inside what you have achieved over the last twelve months or will the realisation come in hindsight when things ‘calm‘ down?

After a blazing summer hitting the festivals, the last thing we wanted to do was wind down! We got straight back into the studio writing the next full-length, which is currently up to about 9 or 10 tracks. We’re currently in rehearsal mode for the upcoming tour with Skindred, so there’s been about zero down time in the Huron camp lately!

Following up your album Mary Celeste of 2011, you released the excellent War Party EP earlier this year and it is fair to say the new release, certainly for us, brings an even more intense and inventive Huron?

For sure! We’ve tried to keep the element of groove in the new material but as you say with more of an Intense and progressive melodic approach, is purely the way the band is evolving we like it raw, edgy and in your face so to speak.

What has brought the new twist to your already impressive sound; is it something that naturally happened from having a new line-up or was deliberately sought?

Pretty much I reckon! Everything was very natural; Rohan (bass) and I jumped ship from a death metal band, and the sound just evolved from there. We gigged a lot with the Mary Celeste material, putting together War Party behind the scenes, trying new songs out on the road. You know, feeling out what feels right in the set. But the songs came together pretty quickly. We’d jam out a song, mess around with it until the structure felt right, made sure the song worked the lyrics, and then we’d take it straight out on the road! Generally if it feels good we go with it!

You are known for your grooves but with the new songs even that element has found another levels, again is that something you were extra vigilant over as other aspects of your sound found a new presence and invention?

My favourite thing about working with the other guys is how wide our respective taste in music is. Sean (vocals) and Neil (guitar) are the more old school guys; the groove, the grit! Rohan, Jim (drums) and I are more rooted in modern thrash and death metal, so there’s that more technical element too. Not technical for the sake of it. Again, everything has to feel natural and feel right. We don’t force a riff or a solo or something into a song if it doesn’t need it. Having new drummer Jim on board has made the writing process for the next one a lot easier – He’s an absolute monster of a player!

I believe the EP is the first of two and also was more a promotional tool then a full on release? If so what was its purpose and did it achieve its intent as well as delivering four stunning tracks?

At the time, the two EP thing was something we really wanted to do, because it meant we could focus on a handful of awesome tunes at a time, then get back out onto the live scene, and repeat. But the pace has really picked up for us this year, and what feels natural right now is to put out a new full length. War Party was a real fun project to do and I’m so glad we did it; I think it firmly marks the beginning of the evolution of Huron! But we’ve grown so much because of the experiences in the last year, and I don’t think we can sum that up in another four tracks. I think maybe down the line when it feels right we could bring out a ‘War Party II’, I’d like to for sure, but right now we’re focusing on a full-length.

One can presume the songs on the release give an insight to the creative intent and sound of Huron ahead, or are there still more surprises in store for us?

It’s only the beginning, haha! I think since Jim joined the fold bringing his incredible technical abilities, it’s inspired us to push ourselves, and that’s what we’re bringing to the table on the next album. We pushed up a level on War Party and we’re pushing further on the next one. Right now there’s no restrictions, right now everything is pretty much balls-to-the-wall metal. There’s some fast tunes, some real stompy tunes, and there’s some really-fucking-fast tunes! I think people will be surprised!

We alluded to your busy month ahead at the start which refers of course as you mentioned earlier to your series of gigs around the UK with the brilliant Skindred, easily our fav band here, how did that come about and have excitement levels peaked yet?

It’s real exciting; we can’t wait to hit the road. We’re in the studio rehearsing rigorously to keep our chops hot! Ultimately as Huron was getting bigger and moving faster the next logical step was to get management. He’s helped push in the right direction and we’ve accomplished a lot under his guidance

Skindred appear to be a band that is eager to help out and support emerging underground bands, have you been fortunate to feel that before?

We’ve opened for some awesome bands, the likes of Evile and Alestorm. Most recently was Onslaught, some of the true fathers of thrash! And that was a home town show too which made it more special. They’re a real sound bunch of guys, just doing what they love, just like everyone else in the game.

Am I right in thinking most of the dates are already sold out?

They certainly are, but from what I’ve seen some venues are releasing extra tickets due to popular demand! I know for certain Plymouth’s ‘White Rabbit’ has, and that’s awesome because that’s our home town. The home town shows are always incredible. So act damn fast if you want to get a ticket!

What can those lucky enough to be seeing this great line-up expect to see and hear from Huron?

Ale-induced vomiting. Ha! Expect whiplash and bang-overs! Plenty of mosh pit anthems; we like watching people tear each other apart! It’s all about having a good time.

Returning to earlier in the year, you have also made major impressions, for great critical acclaim, with your live performances at the likes of the Download, Bloodstock and Bulldog Bash festivals. It has been a heady ride one guesses, what has been the biggest highlight personally, the one moment which sums up the great year for you?

For me it was Download. Just walking out on the stage, seeing that many people and getting such an awesome reaction… it was like, this is my dream. This is what I what I set out to do when I was 13 and I wanted to be Kirk Hammett! The festival run this summer was a blast; Bulldog and Bloodstock was a cracking weekend! On top of playing, we got to watch some great bands too!

As if this has not all been enough haha, you have also just released your video for the track Fight For Your Life which is taken from the War Party EP. Can you tell us about it, who you recorded it with, where it was recorded and the mixing in of live footage, etc…?

Huron have worked for some time now with Dandelion Wars on the production and editing of the music videos. They’re awesome guys, got great visions and they’re musicians themselves which always helps! It was filmed at the Devonport Amateur Boxing Academy in Plymouth. The manager and boxers from the club were all sound dudes, a little terrifying when you’re watching them spar up close, but yeah!

All the tracks on the EP are strong contenders for a video, what did you feel Fight For Your Life had over the other three?

I think the message behind the song is very powerful, you only have to listen to the lyrics to sort of get inside the story, but everyone is entitled to their own interpretation. Plus it’s the opener on the EP, it’s the track everybody hears first, so it’s got to be a good solid track that stands on its own two feet, and I think it does that.

After the Skindred tour, what is next up for Huron?

Probably a little break for Christmas, and then straight back into writing

Any plans so far you can announce for 2013?

The most important thing for us is going to be the new full length, but we’ve got a video for ‘Mercy Killing’ coming out and plans for more videos too. We’ve got a whole bunch of surprises but you’ll have to keep an eye out for those!

Again many thanks for sparing time to bring us up to date on a great year for Huron.

Thank you!

Any last words you would like to leave us with?

We’ll see you in the pit!!

And lastly what sounds have you lined up for the tour bus for the tour?

Personally, a whole load of new metal albums! The new Faceless, Periphery, Cattle Decapitation, Sylosis… on reflection 2012 has been a cracking year for metal!

The RingMaster Review 05/12/2012