Shai Hulud “Reach Beyond the Sun” Album Review (hardcore)
Shai Hulud
“Reach Beyond the Sun”
Metal Blade Records
review by Denise Borders
This is not a reunion or a comeback for Shai Hulud, founding member and guitarist Matt Fox says, “We never broke up, [bassist] Matt Fletcher and I never said we were hanging this up.” I think that statement clears things up for many fans who wondered what the band has been doing since 2008’s Misanthropy Pure. Besides the gap in releases, the thing that made me most eager to hear Reach Beyond the Sun is the fact the band brought back original vocalist Chad Gilbert (who has been busy with New Found Glory, also a side note Shaid Hulud > NFG). Gilbert has made a few statements saying this is NOT a permanent thing and he isn’t re-joining the band, but he is the vocalist on this album and he played a few shows with them in the recent months.
Reach Beyond the Sun drops on Metal Blade Records February 19th, and I can tell you this… BUY IT.
Available 2.19.2013
Tracklist:
“The Mean Spirits, Breathing” – 2:56
“I, Saturnine” – 1:46
“Reach Beyond the Sun” – 3:00
“A Human Failing” – 3:30
“Man Into Demon: And Their Faces Are Twisted With the Pain of Living” – 2:57
“Medicine to the Dead” – 3:20
“To Suffer Fools” – 1:42
“Think the Adder Benign” – 3:56
“Monumental Graves” – 3:54
“If a Mountain Be My Obstacle” – 3:30
“At Least a Plausible Case for Pessimism” – 3:35
So excited to dive into this one! From the first vocal crack in The Mean Spirits, Breathing, I was convinced this album was going to blow people away. This band has been so quiet the last few years, only breaking out to do a few small tours or a show here and there, I’m sure they feel a lot of pressure surrounding this release. Chad is my favorite vocalist the band has had on an album, and he was just a kid last time he recorded with them. Despite the huge gap, his voice still sounds the same aka amazing. He has a powerful scream and this track is a great representation of that, along with the strong lyrics and hardcore scores, I can say…. FUCK YES.
I, Saturine keeps the pace going. I love the ending of this track so much, and I also like that it’s barely over a minute and a half. Growing up on punk records has me hooked on short tracks for some reason, so this one is quick and awesome. It rolls nicely into the third track (also the title track), Reach Beyond the Sun. Normally, the title track isn’t my favorite on a record, but within a few seconds of this one, it’s my favorite thus far. It’s fast and makes you want to look like you’re having a violent convulsion…. and that’s a good thing!
In an effort to not make my reviews insanely long, I’ve started skipping some tracks. If you hate this, let me know. I have a feeling no one really gives a shit. With that said, I’m skipping to Medicine to the Dead because as much as EVERY track has been awesome, this was the next one that made me all excited n shit.
This band sounds like they didn’t skip a beat between their last record to now. They have stayed true to their sound, and To Suffer Fools is another example of just that. It sounds like a song that you could have heard on their first record. This stays true for Think the Adder Benign as well, in that it is the good ol’ Shai Hulud we know and love; but something about this track brings more of that ‘new song’ feeling than many of the others. If I had to put my finger on it, I’d say it’s the drawn out ending (which I love). At this point, they are killing it.
Moving along to the final track, At Least a Plausible Case for Pessimism, it starts off a little different than their other songs. With a slower feel, we get to hear another side of the band without straying far from the normal hardcore sound they bring. As the song progresses, it picks up speed but still has a mostly underlying, slower (almost sludgy) feel. I am a little surprised they would end the album with a slower track but I guess it makes sense for a final track. I like this song for a million reasons, but mostly because I love it just as much as the other ones that I’m going to let this album play on repeat to enjoy it all over again.
This is a powerful record that should be coming through everyone’s speakers at one point or another. Metal Blade is a reliable source for great metal and hardcore, and Shai Hulud is one of my favorite bands on their roster. I hope they don’t make us wait five more years for another release because this one is already securing its spot in my Top 10 list for 2013. Hats off to you, my dear, sweet Shai Hulud!
Shai Hulud Official
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About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
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