Hawk Eyes - Mindhammers

With their post-Reuben blend of hardcore and modern metal, Hawk Eyes (formerly Chickenhawk) were always bound to turn heads, for sheer abrasiveness alone if nothing else. Their first long-player, ‘Modern Bodies’, was a masterclass in metallic chaos, highly-strung math metal aggression and vitriolic vocal howls.

Not to suggest that the fight’s gone out of them – in fact, nothing could be further from the case – but ‘Mindhammers’ is a different beast, in spite of its ostensibly more brutal name. The opener, ‘Crack Another One’ is a study in standing on a knife-edge between melody and full-on rock assault, while ‘Mindhammers’ goes straight for the jugular, the most unashamedly violent of the material here.

Taking more of a stoner vibe – albeit with the stronger vocal impulses of a Trent Reznor, ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ is deliciously sludgy, downtuned riffs recalling Soundgarden at their most obtuse. On ‘Eleven Years’ it’s another of the Seattle Trinity that are referenced; Pearl Jam, in what seems like the strongest break from Hawk Eyes’ usual modus operandi. In fact, with its Silverchair-like chorus, it’s the closest Hawk Eyes have ever been to pop, even if that is still somewhere south of the alternative mainstream.

The closer, ‘Hidden Hound’ is the perfect bookend to ‘Crack Another One’; slow and atmospheric, it takes its time to resolve into a phenomenal wash of vocals and guitar that could scarcely be bettered by QOTSA at their most sublime. Whatever they go on to, the fact remains that this short teaser is their greatest work to date; hopefully there’s more surprises to come.