Album Review: theHELL

With all these new bands coming out every other day, I have been waiting for one to dabble with some punk rooted sounds.  A new band that can infuse the catchy rhythms of pop-rock with the rawness of the 80s hardcore punk scene.  Well folks, I think we may have found something in theHELL...

For about the past year, Matt Skiba (lead singer/guitarist of Alkaline Trio) has hinted about getting together with Atom Willard (drummer in Rocket from the Crypt, Social Distortion, Angels and Airwaves) and recording an album under the moniker of theHELL.  Most of Skiba's updates would come randomly from his Twitter page and fans never knew whether to wait in anticipation or scroll through the rest of their newsfeed.  Well, an album has yet to hit the shelves, but an EP entitled "Sauve Les Requins" (French for "Save the Sharks") was released via iTunes on January 13th of this new year.

The EP is four tracks long, with only one eclipsing 2:30 minutes.  The one, "Gasoline," is the opening song and would work well as a first single.  The raw slashing of Skiba's guitar mixed with Willard's powerful, yet melodic drum beat are a perfect background for the repeated first line "Be careful what you wish for."  The song sounds eerily similar to any Misfits song, but the catchy beat is what sets "Gasoline," and the entire EP, apart from any of the 1980s hardcore punk scene. 

Alkaline Trio broke into the alternative/punk scene in 1996 with catchy music and dark lyrics focused on alcohol consumption, drug intake, distain for religion, and social fallacies.  However, after years of writing from tortured souls, the Trio's life outlook became significantly more positive and so did their lyrics.  Skiba is right back to his old Alkaline Trio days with theHELL, but his lyrics do not contain booze and drug references, rather an outlook on abandonment and what consequences will come.  Skiba's instrumentation has also captured that old-school punk sound of a raw guitar and simple chord progression.  "Vas Te Faire Foutre," off of theHELL's EP, is Skiba at his finest: musically, lyrically, and vocally.

Atom Willard, on the other hand, has been involved with several punk bands for the last twenty years.  While having played in several legendary bands, Willard's drumming talent has never been recognized for what it is.  Social Distortion, Rocket from the Crypt, and Angels and Airwaves, most particularly, are guitar focused bands and recording processes can most times drown out the drums in place of heavy guitars.  Not with theHELL.  Due to the band consisting of only two members, Willard is able to move freely through each song, leaving his mark on this new punk sound.  There are no guitar solos and not one second of the EP lacks percussion.  "R R R" and "Gasoline" are two tracks where Willard shines, pounding on the drums as if he were to say, "Do you assholes hear me yet?"

I have been an Alkaline Trio since my early high school days and I have always loved Atom Willard's drumming, but never in one million years did I think I would see my favorite frontman and a world class drummer come together to make music.  Both artists bring their own flare to "Sauve Les Requins" and a new flare is created in the process.  The album is fast paced, raw, angry, but most of all, it's just good new punk for those who want a taste.

Listen to "Gasoline:"