Hellfire Sermons - Hymns: Ancient and Modern

  by Gary Wollen

published: 9 / 2 / 2003

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Review

This album is a musical anthology of Liverpool band Hellfire Sermons, coalesced for presumably the first time. It charts their musical progress on record from their debut ‘Freak Storm’ in 1988 to ‘Bill and Sarah’ released in 1991. It pits itself against the indie labels ‘Insurient’ (home of career rockers Manic Street Preachers) to Dishy (sometime home or sanctuary of the fantastic Bitter Springs and equally lauded Delta). The package is complete with a wonderful erudite and endearing summarisation of both the band and, indeed the indie climate of the time by Bus Stop owner Daniel Williams, who obviously knows his onions. Read it while listening to the CD and one is instantly transported to 1988 when the nearest sound to indie on the radio would be the abject and errant Wonderstuff. The sleeve displays some fine reviews of the band culled from the music press of the time showing the enthusiasm and praise that our highly articulate and much revered national music journos heaped on 'Hellfire Sermons'. The booklet as a whole goes some way to explain the inherent difficulties that 'Hellfire Sermons' encountered and were subject to. It sets the tone of the times and allows one to listen to the complete CD in this context. The early singles collected here are great slabs of Scouse pop with echoes of a city immersed in popular culture. At times I am reminded in a subtle way of Wah! or the output from pre baggy Farm singles. There is also a degree of bright jazzy guitar here that had me delving into my collection digging out the first gorgeous Hurrah album. As we progress through their career (if I may be so bold to refer to it as a career) what opens up to the listener is an oblique joy. By the time we listen intently to ‘Not Nailed Down’ I can hear the delightful collision of The Smiths with Tom Verlaine on lead guitar. The acerbic, confrontational vocal pitches itself between the Fire Engines and New Fast Automatic Daffodils but with considerably more menace. There are also times here when the slightest of nods towards the Stars Of Heaven or the Wolfhounds are offered. This band manage with unerring tenacity to charm a tense menacing atmosphere (and not in an unpleasing way) and place it cheek by jowl with some joyful pop choruses with a result that comes across in the most endearing way. All in all this is a fine collection of songs that relates the story in musical form of a young melodic pop band that blossomed into something difficult, edgy yet ultimately enjoyable and explosive. This was a band with a brash faced arrogance and a beguiling, leftfield approach to pop music. It was an approach that was not altogether unique in the 80’s but that does not diminish the quality on show here. Listening to this in the cold light of day one gets a taste of a fine yet often neglected band that deserved better and maybe now with this release should be reassessed and adopted by a new and larger audience

Track Listing:-

1 Freak Storm
2 Rachel Clean
3 H.O.N.E.Y.M.O.O.N
4 Quicksand
5 Penny-Pinching Cathy
6 Blows Rain Down
7 Gentleman Caller
8 The Best Laugh I Ever Had
9 Not Nailed Down
10 Covered in Love
11 Sacred Skin
12 Callaghan
13 Sarasine
14 No Hands
15 Lovespoons
16 Bill & Sarah
17 Him Again
18 Town Faces
19 Real Life Seams