Following up from their debut single, Carmen Jones, released last year and accumulating just over 1,600 streams, the Bristol rockers have shaken up the system with their latest release Memorial, a cacophony of orchestral sounds mixed with progressive influence.
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| Photo: Amia Watling |
With a sound reminiscent of Slint and a hint of Nine Inch Nails, HAAL is a band that wouldn’t sound out of place soundtracking a David Fincher movie. Memorial is a track that creeps up on you and rewards you for your patience. Even more rewarding is the wall of distortion in the climax of the song, ending the song in beautiful grandness.
There is evidence of the band's knowledge of music theory in their clever usage of dissonance, a complex time signature, and a complex structure so tasteful that if it was plated up in the Masterchef final, it would be more tear-jerking than getting a 7 from Anthony Fantano.
The math-rock influence is unmistakable; beginning with the introduction of the drums which brings forward the revelation that the bass groove is syncopated, that is dually paired with a fantastic bass tone, one may even describe it as “phat”. The structure of the song is akin to Faraquet, even more so the usage of extended chords which is a notable staple of the math rock genre.
It's impressive, to say the least, that in only two songs, HAAL have found an original and prevalent style. The blend of a variety of influences is wonderfully translated into what can only be described as post-math-industrial, but more than anything, refreshing.
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