Hailing from New Hampshire, Franciscan Honey‘s music is much more accessible than his prose. His Bandcamp bio reads like a maze constructed by the Mad-hatter: “a distanced recording project meant to bring a live, abrasive tone to a chaotically psychotic world. Sludge runs down the tunnel as you bolt for the light; fire lights from beneath you as you find solace in the bog ahead; the tones swirl around you as you enter and time stands still.” Well, we honestly have no idea what that means..but, if you can ignore the incoherency, Honey has a lot to offer with his new single, “Mind-Killer.”
Interestingly, while the song is vey much in the spirit of Garage-Rock/Alternative from the past, there’s also a case to be made that there is some semblance to the latter-day work of industrial madmen, The Prodigy. You can really hear it on the mega-distorted bass riff unleashed at the beginning of the track. Also, dig that monophonic synth line accompanying Honey’s maniacal, preachy vocal performance. We’re generally loving the super crunchy sound of this track, as well as the simple, no-nonsense guitar solo which really hearkens back to some early Sabbath. There’s a definitely a nod to some Iggy & the Stooges, as well. Is it too early in the morning for Iggy Pop?
On “Mind Killer,” Franciscan Honey seems to be trapped in his own mind. According to FH, ‘“Mind-Killer” acts as a reflection of fears, as the sonic equivalent of trudging through an unknown desert in search of anything familiar. Juxtaposing between playful rhythms and harsh overtones, the song represents the mental anguish of unshakable concern.’ Okay, that’s actually pretty coherent.
Can’t wait to hear some more from this Garage-Rock machine-gunner!
