One of the first demo's I ever reviewed was by Hinterland, since that time the band seem to have took their insanely catchy brand of punk on constant tour across the U.K playing along side bands such as Lovemat, Dangerlust and Projeckt Mayhem.rnOpening track 'Chemistry' reminds me straight away why I enjoy Hinterland's music so much, it is raw, fuzzy in your face punk but with a real catchy kick and simple yet effective dynamic, it is instantly memorable and makes your feet tap and mouth grin. With a classic Hinterland hook line in ' Sell your T.V, Sell your CD, Sell your Make up, Time ya woke up!' at the end, Chemistry is a great start to the album. rnHinterland both live and on recording have always been a quality act who probably know how to hammer lyrics home better than any other band I have come across, they use simple lines and just bombard you with them, meaning that by the end of ever track you have the hook line embedded in your mind. rnHinterland however on recording have reach new highs with this their debut album, 'Simian'. The recordings have always had that catchy, bounce and anger which makes your feet stamp but this new recording is produced to a top standard to also truly give their songs the raw edge that stands them in such good stead live. rnMost the songs are based on similar lay outs with the guitars and drums kicking in the dynamic whilst the bass holds the songs down. The vocals are loud and in your face with those stupidly catchy hook lines. It is great hearing so many catchy tunes on one album, and many of the songs are new anthems as well as the classic re-recording of 'Got a New Drug'. rnThe fuzzy, banging dirty guitars and bass mix well with the huge vocal shouts and booming drums to give ever song a raw, vibrant energy which gets into your head.rnIt is also great hearing such booming punky anthems such as 'Big Mouth' and 'Enjoy yourself' recorded at such a good quality. The extra vocal harmonies and effects on the guitars add dynamic and even though Hinterland's sound isn't really complex they have mixed and written the songs with such great subtlety that it is just full of energy. rnLead vocalist Darren's voice sounds perfect for their style with a real punky swagger and arrogant edge to it that reminds me slightly of early A.rnAnother thing that is impressive about Hinterland and shows their growth over the last few years, is the nice dynamic drop outs and tempo changes which are put in at just the right times so that when they do kick in it really hits you hard.rnIf you want music to dance to, fight to, sing to and enjoy yourself to, you can't go far wrong with Hinterland and with this being such a good quality recording, you won't get much better. Just be warned, you will be singing Hinterland's songs for the next month!!! rnrnrn
Reviewed by: Gaz
