Hekz - Caerus
by Erick Mertz
published: 22 / 2 / 2015
Label:
BMH Audio
Format: CD
intro
Nostalgic heavy metal on second album from acclaimed Bedford-based outfit, Hekz
I was fifteen once. So were you. Remember staying up late past your bedtime, glued to a grainy Headbanger’s Ball video on MTV, probably revelling in the skintight glory of bands like Krokus and Dio, and tracks like 'Holy Diver' that made full range of a long-haired scion’s vocal range. For me, those days are gone but they are certainly not forgotten. The four guys from Bedford, UK, Hekz clearly feel the pull. There are hair metal influences all over their newest. 'Caerus' is a veritable symphony of fast guitars and high-ranging falsettos. Since those stay up late days on Headbanger’s Ball, my metal tastes have changed. But they haven’t gone astray from those pure and simple joys either. Tracks like 'From Obscurity to Eternity' and 'Progress & Failure' bring me squarely back to that place where my heavy needs conformed to a simple formula. Hekz isn’t purely radio friendly though. Frequently throughout their record they break with simple song formats, stretching out to explansive lengths, particularly on 'Homo Ex Machina' and 'Journey’s End'. I’m inclined to highly recommend 'Caerus' to speed freaks and metal heads out there simply because it crosses back across the line to a fun and enjoyable brand of metal. These guys really kick back to a time when heavy music wasn’t some cloak and dagger cool test.
Track Listing:-
1 Progress & Failure2 Liberation
3 Disconnect the World
4 From Obscurity to Eternity
5 The Black Hand
6 Kingdom
7 The Left Hand of God
8 Homo Ex Machina
9 Journey's End?
Band Links:-
https://twitter.com/hekzthebandhttp://hekztheband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HeKztheBand
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
most viewed reviews
current edition
Serious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning DewRod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Marika Hackman - Big Sigh
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart