Planet Notion - Early Exponents of 'Avant Punk'

Hydra-Head (HH) has seen fit to release the entire discography of one of the early exponents of the ‘avant punk’ scene. Never heard of them? Neither had I; but fear not because HH have come to rescue them from obscurity. Unsurprisingly (this is Hydra Head after all) they have quite the punk credibility. There membership consisting of a young Kurt Ballou of hardcore/punk stalwarts Converge (have I got your attention now) and Aaron Stuart of semi-legendary, but sadly now defunct, post-hardcore band Piebald. Like many other bands of their ilk (yes Some Girls I’m talking about you too) it can take a while before The Huguenots songs become fully realised in your head. It’s hard to listen to all the instruments at once when they’re all screaming for your attention at the same time like a band of unruly children. However, with perseverance you can prise open the tumultuous layers of sound and unveil the fractured beauty within. Jazzy guitar licks surface for a moment before they are garrotted by searing bursts of acerbic guitar squall, that twists the brain in knots, and the rhythm section (if you can call it that), laying waste to everything in their path like a blitzkrieg leaving nothing standing. Although they went onto bigger and better things it’s a shame they disbanded without leaving more of a legacy, something which this release will hopefully go some way towards changing. Words: Andy Devine

The Huguenots – Discography is released on Hydra Head Records February 14th