1000 Hertz Album Review
1000 Hertz – …Are Burning Maps
Words by Ian Dickinson
1000 Hertz explosive 2007 debut Input The Outputs, was comparable, if not superior in some ways to the Ghost Of A Thousands (GOAT) This Is Where The Fight Begins and the Gallows Orchestra Of Wolves. By the end of 2009 a follow up had not materialised and 1000 Hertz had dropped of the radar. At one point I feared they had thrown in the towel. Thankfully this was not the case and the boys from Milton Keynes have returned with a blistering melodic hardcore, punk n roll extravaganza. Anthemic and aggressive this album ticks all the appropriate boxes to be considered as one of the finest albums of 2010 to date.
The short sharp shock of their debut has been replaced with a more prolonged and tactical assault on the senses. 1000 Hertz have lost none of the spleen and ferocity that made Input The Outputs so striking. John Hall (vocals) has an unmistakeable blood curdling scream that could lead a thousand men into battle. Only now it is complimented with sorrowful and gravely melodious interludes, which are not dissimilar to Chuck Ragan’s singing voice during his Hot Water Music (HWM) period. These more sensitive and considered moments heighten the impact of the sporadic and untamable outbursts as well as providing depth and diversity to the bands sound.
Fundamentally it is a punk fueled assault, but the 10 tracks that comprise …Are Burning Maps are varied and interesting, offering something that should appeal to all hardcore and punk fans. Our Heart Is All We’ve Got is a contemptuous observation of the ‘scene’ that possesses a non conformist angst reminiscent of the Refused. Dole queue despondency is ever present with songs such as We Are Not Economically Viable, a credit crunch charged attack on the powers that be, which Anti Flag would be proud of. We Want The Truth is a bold and brazen blast of punk vitriol that has all the makings of a crowd pleaser. Numerous tracks provide welcome opportunities for a shout a long, so be aware if you are listening to this on your portable music contraption. I was rather unpopular one evening on the tube thanks to the opening track Infected Lights and its infectious hook.
The highlight track is Loss Of A Soul, a melodic post hardcore tune, that has a terrifying aura of Armageddon and foreboding which consumes the ears as Hall dashes from calm to crazy. As the song builds to its climax I can’t help but thinking of the scene in Fight Club when the city erupts and crumbles in front of their eyes.
Intimidating bass lines and drums, distorted and venom charged riffs and one of hardcore and punks finest vocalists make 1000 Hertz a genuine class act. They have proved that they are more than a 2minute track hardcore band. …Are Burning Maps sounds like an album that has been lovingly crafted by a band that have grown from strength to strength. It is to be hoped that this release will see 1000 Hertz gain the respect and recognition they so thoroughly deserve. As the cliche goes, good things come to those that wait and the time and passion that has gone into this is album is evident even down to the Tom Lacey cover art. Old fans will rejoice upon listening and fans of GOAT, Lower Than Atlantis and HWM, who have not had the pleasure of hearing 1000 Hertz yet have a new band to add to their list of favourites.
May 14th, 2010
[...] This album is brilliant, we gave it one hell of a review http://clinkmusicmagazine.com/2010/04/05/1000-hertz-album-review/ [...]