If you are already a fan of Chickenhawk then I guess you will know pretty much what to expect from Modern Bodies, but for those new to the band I would highly recommend having a quick nap before launching yourself into it. After the brief squall of feedback heralding the beginning of album opener Scorpieau, the pace hardly lets off until the dying moments of closing track Bottle Rocket, the time in between a whirlwind of crushing guitar riffs, manic drumming and the tortured vocals of front man Paul Astick, the whole time never letting up beyond the point of being merely angry, rather than the distorted screams that are regularly heard throughout. The only respites are fleeting moments of foreboding calm, such as the first minute of The Pin before the song shifts back to the relentless pace and heavy riffs we have come to know in the previous tracks.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, this is not exactly a peaceful and relaxing album to listen to, but then again few metal bands are… What Chickenhawk have managed is to create an album that will draw you in, beat you up and spit you out at the other end somehow having enjoyed the experience; an album constructed out of crushingly heavy riffs and enough hooks to prevent you hitting the pause button except in the case of the extreme aural exhaustion – a side effect of trying to keep up with the relentless pace without adequate preparation.
Modern Bodies is out now via Brew Records
For more information check out our previous look at the video for I Hate This, Do You Like It? and the official Chickenhawk site at www.myspace.com/chickenhawk
DL
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