Hickey Underworld – Ill

Hickey Underworld – Ill

PIAS – 2015

Rock, Noise

Rated: ****

Timmy ‘Tipover’ Vanhamel has joined the Hickey Underworld. You know, one of the guys behind Evil Superstars, the man behind Millionaire, Eat Lions and Broken Glass Heroes, that Belgian freak that was part of the first Eagles Of Death Metal line-up to record an album and delivered some many amazing guest spots to bands like Creature With The Atom Brain and dEUS. And then to think that the Hickey Underworld was already a force unto itself. The fact he joined the band is due to the Meniere sickness (oticodinosis) suffered by Jonas Govaerts, making it impossible for him to endure the explosions on stage that the Hickey Underworld always and continually deliver. But not on this record though, for this time around they slow down their noise quite a bit and almost become like a mouse scratching around in your brain. Not that the entire record entitled Ill, sounds small or minor or trivial or something you could squash with one heavy foot stomp. Hell no, there’s some righteous and riotous action going on as well. But where earlier releases usually turned into an ocean of noise, this one surfs on its waves and turns highly melodic on occasion. And even opts to turn into a single wave more often than a complete ocean whenever the noise is needed. Sometimes a bit spacey, sometimes a bit stoner and always struggling and always as if it was a matter of life or death. As if they are walking an electric tightrope that might be switched on at any moment. Or like a squeaky mouse that is about to drown in a bucket of water…

(Written by JK)

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