If you could look me in the eyes now, would you though?
Häg – Häg
June 5th, 2020
Progressive Doom Metal
Independently Released
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Arising from the ashes of the band formerly known as Goon, Häg have picked up from their original demo released way back in 2017 under their old name and have pushed full steam ahead into their debut full length studio album, a self-titled effort to boot. With Häg we see a band with numerous influences coming together to create a sound that is both unique to the heavy music scene in the province as well as unique to themselves. There aren’t many bands out there that sound like Häg, and for that they’ve already done themselves a service in helping to get noticed outside of our own insular world here in Newfoundland.
With the album’s opener, “Summon the Earth to Lay Claim Back into the Soil”, a wordy title if their ever was one, we immediately get hints of both Black Sabbath and Candlemass with the riffage, provided by axe-wielding duo Adam Hefferman and Andrew Wicks, who waste no time launching into some sweet guitar sounds that get stuck in your head. But while the song may start off with the typical epic doom metal bent, it doesn’t take long for the group’s more experimental and unique leanings to creep in. The chorus is epic, massive and bombastic, featuring these rampaging double bass kicks from drummer Keith Harding and some truly soulful crooning from vocalist and frontwoman Clair Hipditch who sings the song’s name above swelling, atmospheric, black metal-esque chords. It’s near the end of the track when the band’s progressive elements make themselves known front and center with some pretty and engaging guitr noodling that reminds me of the prog bands of old such as Yes, King Crimson or Pink Floyd.
As the album’s opener closes we come to “Your Skin”, a track that was previously recorded on the group’s original demo. This track does well to showcase the group’s more atmospheric and melancholy side. The guitars and bass, provided by Josh Ward, are at the same time heavy and crushing in the instrumental sense but also in the emotional sense. This song feels so mournful in its tone, especially when Hefferman and Wicks harmonize their guitars. Hipditch reminds me much of fellow doom vocalist Julie Christmas in both her tone and enunciation on this track, though the comparison to Christmas could honestly be applied to the rest of the record.
“Funeral” is also a song from the original Goon demo that was rerecorded for this album and it continues the absolutely devastating melancholy tones from before, reminding me of groups in the larger death-doom world like Swallow the Sun or Paradise Lost with their intricate compositions and beautifully sad compositions. I absolutely adore Hipditch’s vocals on this song, especially when she sings “If you could look me in the eyes now, would you though?” at the very beginning, or the chorus when she sings “Underneath you, underwater, I’m drowning and you don’t seem to mind. You told me one day that you would bury me, I told you one day the undertow would drag us down”. The ending of this track sees the band get punishingly heavy with a post metal style breakdown featuring relentlessly chunky chugs and an endless war-drum beat on the toms.
We then come to “Slow Ghosts” which is the final song rerecorded from the Goon demo. On this track we see the band get much more stripped back and toned down, channeling those 70’s prog vibes with some quiet, fluttery guitars, lightly patted drums and ethereal echoing vocals, while the bass offers a tone in the background smoother than a seal’s pelt. When the heaviness does kick in a little bit more towards the end of the track it feels very much like a natural progression and continues to make the song feel like a strong and silent centerpiece to the record.
“Slow Ghosts” sees the end of the rerecorded tracks from the demo and we get back to the wholly original material with “At the End of the Ambush”. The best way I could describe this track is that it feels like a beefed up, heavier version of a bluesy jazz song that you’d hear in a smoky noir nightclub back in the 1940’s. This is by far the standout moment for Hipditch on the record, whose vocals scream out over the rest of the band, taking center stage. The guitars and bass play these really sultry, sexy riffs (or, at least as sexy and sultry as doom metal can really be) that evoke the nightclub I was talking about, while the drums stay very basic and stripped back while also being loud and bombastic.
“House Sparrow” was released as the album’s lead single prior to the record’s full release, and even now after having heard this song many, many times, I still notice little things about it in the mix that I never caught before. I love the intricate feelings on this song, from the low key techy moments during the verse with the complex drumming to the Mastodon and Sahg vibes that I get during the pre-chorus and the chorus with the tempo changes. It’s clear that having released this song as the lead single that this is the track the band is most proud of, and it shows. The multitude of textures on this track and the multiple segments that complicate the arrangements on here are evidence of a band that works extremely well together both as writers and as players.
“Ruins” may be the band’s most upbeat and basic ‘rock’ track on the whole album, with it’s fast-swing drum beat on the toms and the almost Clutch-esque guitar riffing going on. It’s kind of hard for me to describe this track but the weird vibes and two-step inspiring tempo easily make this the most danceable song on the whole album. For real, if I was to ever see Häg live and they didn’t play this song I would consider it a crime. While doom metal isn’t known much for moshing, this is the mosh track on the record and I fucking love it for that.
The album trudges to its bitter end with “The Grim Sleepers” which is perhaps the most traditional doom metal track on the record. Taking cues from Sabbath and Candlemass once again, the riffs on here are slow, heavy and punishing. There are some quieter moments throughout the song but by and large this is a straightforward doomy steamroller that plays the album out and serves as a culmination of what the rest of the album had going for it.
If you couldn’t tell by now I fucking love this record. The vocals are epic and powerful, the guitars and bass work together to create a mixture of heaviness with atmosphere baked in the tones of melancholy mourning, and the drums are both loud and in your face while also being able to hold back and be quieter when needed. This album is the result of a band that has clearly been playing together and writing together for some time and it shows. If this is what Häg come out of the gate swinging with then they’re destined to go places. Check this record out now. You won’t regret it.
Final Verdict: 10/10
Flawless
Favourite Tracks:
“Your Skin”
“Funeral”
“At the End of the Ambush”
“House Sparrow”
“Ruins”
For Fans Of:
Candlemass
Swallow the Sun
Julie Christmas
Pink Floyd
~ Akhenaten
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