The massive, new single from the Buckinghamshire-based band, Hounds Hall, is tight, grooving, heavy, and is the charismatic, shapeshifting start of a 3 part EP that’s awaiting release. The immense quality of production and delivery has left me desperately thirsty for the remaining 2 parts.
A talented alt-rock/pop from the UK, Hounds Hall are relatively fresh, having been formed late 2019. They are the result of years of accumulated work for frontman Adam Bosworth, who opted to assemble a band of like-minded musicians, instead of going solo. A 4-part act, Hounds Hall is an assembly of artists from varying backgrounds and interests, whose visions coincide to craft some tasty and nuanced music. Underneath Glacial is a relatively long (6 minutes) introduction to their upcoming EP, titled The Oddysee, and throughout the runtime, the song manages to move and writhe between its different sections quite dynamically. From the dark, foreboding intro, with its hollow, haunting, reverb-laden riff, and pounding, slow beats, the charismatic vocals and vocal melodies, demanding attention, and the thick, driving bass, to a smooth shift into a quicker crescendo that has one of the more impressive and compelling vocal deliveries that I’ve heard for a while. Full of pure, unadulterated energy, the final section is furious and punishing, with the distorted guitar of Alex Abelett finally peaking, the drums and bass hammering away, as Bosworth’s impassioned vocals retire for an outro of pure, rocking, instrumental bliss.
The huge impact of Jamie Smith’s consistent, driving bass, and the pad-lead atmospheric keyboard playing of the classically trained Rien De Keyser cannot be understated, along with guitars with delicious tones, and singing that’s full of power, charisma, and soul, Hounds Hall are winners, Under Glacial is epic, and their upcoming EP will undoubtedly be a blast.
