Hey Colossus – Radio Static High

Unified, focussed... huge

In a candid aside, one of Hey Colossus' members recently remarked to this writer – of the almost universal praise their last two albums have received – that he was wondering when the bubble would burst and replace itself with a kind of backlash. On the evidence of 'Radio Static High', their second LP of 2015, we'd say it's not likely to be any time soon.

Hey Colossus have been some of the UK's most prolific riff merchants for over a decade now. But whereas 2013's artistic and critical leap 'Cuckoo Live Life Like Cuckoo' found them many new admirers, this new LP, quite frankly, kicks the living shit out of it. The band have never sounded this unified, this focussed, this huge.

The carnal thrust of 'March Of The Headaches' takes their signature grinding repetition to new pop heights – they sound like they're having a blast. Recent promo track 'Hop The Railings' is quite simply a straight-up banger. It's like Killing Joke's 'Wardance' drowning amid waves of surf guitar. It's the tightest and most danceable track Clash has ever heard from these guys.

You could be forgiven for thinking that Michael Gira was singing on 'Another Head', and you'd probably also be thinking "Christ this new Swans track is pretty catchy". The closer, 'Honey' climbs to such a stunning peak it just makes you want to listen to the whole album again.

This is Hey Colossus' best LP yet – by some distance. It takes the hooks with which they've peppered their previous albums and leads with them while refining the more challenging sections that will have previously put off the less adventurous listener.

Let's see what the next album brings before taking up arms and starting the aforementioned backlash…

9/10

Words: James Barry

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