Shai Hulud - A Comprehensive Retrospective

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 23 / 6 / 2005

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Review

This release has been given the subtitle 'Or How We Learned To Stop Worrying and Release Bad or Useless Recordings', and the listener can learn a lot from that. It is a rarities compilation, and that is something most music fans can do without. But, whilst some songs will be in most Shai Hulud fans' CD racks, there are mainly genuine rarities on this disc. It does not seem like a cash in, really. Shai Hulud were an aggressive metallic hardcore band, with gruff screaming vocals. I used to listen to music like this occasionally, though I feel a bit old for it at 21, and this band was well known as one of the biggest players on the scene. It’s easy to see why from this disc. The band not only had the rage of the best hardcore, but enough variety to not be too boring. The earliest songs on this disc were recorded in 1995, when hardcore was still an alternative and not an MTV2 irritant. Shai Hulud were quite generic, but can defend themselves by arguing that they influenced more bands than they were influenced by. Most songs on this disc, even those that are poorly recorded demos, showcase a band with the ability to rock out, whilst shifting temper and tempo enough to not be too boring. The songs are energetic, and often catchy. Though not as adventurous as either band, moments on this album recall System of a Down and Fugazi. It is, for the most part, a fun listen, if little more. The compilation, however, benefits from informative sleeve notes, which make the band seem likeable. A guide to what the band was aiming for with each song means that it is quite a rewarding listening experience, and offers the chance to watch the band develop over time. Most reviews of this album have said that this is an album only for the hardcore fan. I’ve heard very little from this band before, but this package, with its sleeve notes provided a good introduction. I doubt, to be honest, if I’d have listened to this more than once if I had not been able to read about the band. Shai Hulud were talented, and this is a nice way to tie up their career. But, they will not be remembered as a great band. They could play, and write songs, but the deliberate way they limited themselves to aggressive hardcore limits the extent to which they will ever be appreciated. Within their scene, they were leaders. But the time of their scene has passed, and I imagine their name will not outlive it.

Track Listing:-

1 Hardly
2 Orwell
3 Unlearned
4 Sauve Qui Peut
5 This Wake I Myself Have Stirred
6 Favor
7 Solely Concentrating On The Negative Aspects Of Life
8 Gyroscope
9 Hardly
10 Stop Now!
11 Keep Your Day Jobs
12 New Song (Sauve Qui Peut)
13 Tree (Hardly)
14 This Wake I Myself Have Stirred
15 Unlearned
16 This Wake I Myself Have Stirred
17 For The World
18 This Wake I Myself Have Stirred
19 Hardly
20 Unlearned
21 100 Acre Wood
22 Tree (Hardly)
23 This Wake I Myself Have Stirred
24 Sauve Qui Peut (For The World)