A couple of years ago I reviewed a very decent album called “Entheogen” by an Australian progressive metal band called Mish. The leader of Mish went off and formed Hence Confetti, and this is their debut EP. The “emotional heavy music” which Hence Confetti represents derives its influence from the likes of The Devin Townsend Band, Mastodon, Conjurer and others, we’re told.
It starts with a little bit of magic and develops into a punchy riff with a haunting voice appearing behind. As build-ups go, this is top notch. We are sucked into a world of eerie melodic metal. The vocals when they come and drifting. “New Homes” is the song in question. It is full of power and punch, and regrettably too short. I was really getting into it. “Buttons” is harsher and sharper. Sounding like an industrial process with a mind of its own, the vibe is heavier than “New Homes”, and falls somewhere between metalcore and deathcore with growls to match. The guitar riff is deep and threatening. A distant chorus and vocal comes in but does not disturb the harsh riff. In fact the song gets darker and stormier. The mood reverts to a more mystical air with the chimes of “Roschach”. The music seems to be depicting a grey, rainy, sad scene. The sound of the dulcimer returns. The drum shuffles. A distant voice can be heard. “Roschach” is like a film soundtrack but one of a film where there is mystery and loneliness. The sound of this instrumental becomes more expansive and intense but most of all it is gloomy. The gloom continues through the lush guitar tones. The background vocals create a mysterious feel before “Ovation” bursts into life. The singer sounds anguished. Colour is there in the strong guitar. Haunting sounds alternate with unmissable post-metal power and strength. The ending is heavy and harsh. There’s quite a transformation. This five song collection ends with “Bandages”. Round and round goes the heavy riff. Again there is an ethereal, drifting quality about the vocals, creating another layer. It heads into progressive death territory. Like the first four songs, “Bandages” is impressive not only for its power and ability to invade the mind, but also for the blend of ingredients to give it the power and attraction.
This self-titled EP is quite a mixed bag stylistically, but all the interesting musical ideas are shaped purposefully to give us a 3D kind of experience. I liked this 23-minute collection, and look forward to finding out and hearing where Hence Confetti go from here.
(8/10 Andrew Doherty)
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