{"id":22569,"date":"2012-10-03T17:31:44","date_gmt":"2012-10-03T22:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=22569"},"modified":"2013-02-05T16:38:51","modified_gmt":"2013-02-05T21:38:51","slug":"hellsingland-underground-evil-will-prevail-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2012\/hellsingland-underground-evil-will-prevail-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Hellsingland Underground | Evil Will Prevail<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller<\/span>
\nManaging Editor —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"\u201cEverybody seemed so depressed, yet nobody sang the blues. Except for this little band \u2026 we made the music feel new.\u201d While that at first glance appears a grand claim, it just isn\u2019t. It\u2019s accurate, it\u2019s a fact (not an opinion) and it\u2019s also quite self-aware for this introspective and innovative band from Sweden, Hellsingland Underground, and their timely release, Evil Will Prevail<\/em>. They have redefined exactly what \u201cnew\u201d music means, and there is not another band on the planet capable of creating this music. \u201cNew\u201d enough for you?<\/p>\n

On their debut, Madness and Grace<\/em>, Hellsingland Underground brought you into their realm that is at once bleak, stark, and hopeful. Finding beauty in despair and finding life\u2019s affirmation in death (like on \u201cA Short Time in the Sun\u201d) is that umbilical dichotomy between hope and hopelessness. They have expanded on this idea with a seemingly dark theme that is also uplifting and celebratory.<\/p>\n

For instance, \u201cSinging While the World Dies\u201d is the opening track. You\u2019ll hear a clean, acoustic composition at the onset, with Mats Olsson and Peter Henriksson playing off each other on guitars while Charlie Granberg, a true poet and singer, tells this tale with an earthy, smooth and casual delivery that is melodic and conversational. Lyrically, the band calls us all to \u201cKeep on singin\u2019 through the hard times. Keep on singin\u2019 while the world dies.\u201d It\u2019s hard to laugh while crying, but sometimes it\u2019s the only game in town, and Hellsingland Underground captures that sentiment completely.<\/p>\n

The title track \u201cEvil Will Prevail\u201d is possibly the biggest draw on the album, simply because it seems impossible to write a folky, upbeat, danceable track about Evil destroying the world \u2026 and yet they do it. The hyper-melodic chorus of \u201cIf there\u2019s a God in the heavens above, He better come out and show His face. Because idiots rule, stupidity reigns, no matter what anyone\u2019s trying to say, Evil will prevail,\u201d is just catchy as \u2026 Hell. If you are not a person akin to deciphering lyrics, it doesn\u2019t matter, because you\u2019ll pick up a jug of whiskey and dance around like a fool just hearing the expert songwriting and delivery, but you can\u2019t ignore the ominous albeit somehow upbeat ending of \u201cEvil will prevail \u2026 the good ones, always fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hellsingland Underground takes you into a dream world on \u201cBlack Clouds on the Horizon.\u201d It\u2019s Pink Floyd-ish, kind of, maybe even like The Doors back in the LSD days.\u00a0It’s mesmerizing the\u00a0way the vocal melodies ride step-by-step with the organ during the chorus, which as you should be able to guess by now is foreboding and perfect. Drummer Patrik Jansson shines on this artfully crafted song, showing a deft, groovy touch.<\/p>\n

But it can\u2019t be all doom and dance-y gloom on Evil Will Prevail<\/em>, and that\u2019s where you run into \u201cYou Shine the Dark Away.\u201d Anyone with a significant other (that they actually love) or a child can feel this one haunt somewhere under the sternum. While bitingly sarcastic with lines like \u201cAnd if I had a heart, I would want it to be like yours,\u201d Hellsingland Underground is once again pointing out the Yin and Yang of life \u2026 that with the impending darkness there\u2019s also an omnipresent light, if you just remain human enough to look for it and embrace it.<\/p>\n

Not a Queensryche cover, \u201cI Just Don\u2019t Believe in Love\u201d is a story of not remaining human enough to embrace that aforementioned light \u2026 or just being beaten down by so many destructive and parasitic relationships dying alone is a better way to go. You\u2019ve probably felt this way at some time, and if bad relationships are your expertise, you\u2019ll glom onto lyrics like \u201cThey only waited long enough to leave, to make sure they\u2019d make me cry\u201d or the happily depressing refrain of \u201cI\u2019ll get high on my own, gonna die on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last song, \u201cThey All Grew Old While I Grew Young\u201d is a haunting, slow acoustic composition that is looking back over life and knowing the band, over the actual album they just created. Art is life, life is art, all that jazz. You can\u2019t hear words like \u201cI could empty all my pockets now since they contain no secrets anymore \u2026 I have spilled my last drop of blood,\u201d and not tie those words to both. Being authentic and true to their music, it all ends with \u201cAnd so my journey begins.\u201d So with Hellsingland Underground, no matter how dark it all becomes, there is never a fat lady to sing, unless you let her.<\/p>\n

Like most artistic, groundbreaking and innovative bands today, Hellsingland Underground may be dismissed or misunderstood because of their obvious talent, and odds are they won\u2019t reach the global heights they deserve. But obstacles aside, Hellsingland Underground does make the music feel new, which is more than you can say for damn near every other band in the world making music today.<\/p>\n

Genre: Southern\/Folk\/Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nCharlie Granberg – Lead Vocals & Harmonica
\nMats Olsson – Guitar & Backing Vocals
\nPeter Henriksson – Guitar & Backing Vocals
\nMartin Karlsson – Bass
\nHenning Winnberg – Piano & Organ
\nPatrik Jansson – Drums & Percussion<\/p>\n

Track List:
\n01. SINGING WHILE THE WORLD DIES
\n02. THE LOST RIVER BAND
\n03. EVIL WILL PREVAIL
\n04. BLACK CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON
\n05. YOU SHINE THE DARK AWAY
\n06. KING OF NOTHING
\n07. IN THE EVENING
\n08. MIDSUMMER\u2019S WREATH MELTDOWN
\n09. I JUST DON\u2019T BELIEVE IN LOVE
\n10. THEY ALL GREW OLD WHILE I GREW YOUNG<\/p>\n

Label: Killed by Records<\/p>\n

Web: www.hellsinglandunderground.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.1\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller Managing Editor — \u201cEverybody seemed so depressed, yet nobody sang the blues. Except for this little band \u2026 we made the music feel new.\u201d While that at first glance appears a grand […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6772],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22569","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-arcrvws2012"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}