Six Sided Halo
Jeff at Headstrong Management recently dropped us some information about Tempe based Six Sided Halo. Describing their music as Hard Rock/Metal, this Arizona 5 piece deliver hard driving ryhthms, witty – thought provoking lyrics, and a dynamic stage show that leaves crowds wanting more. Having just released their EP, I figured it was only right we see what these guys have got on offer for us!
Opening with Six Sided Halo, I was immediately blown away by the depth these guys have managed to achieve in their recording, the bass seems to echo through everything and create a massively deep sound. Moving from a relatively heavy opening into a softer acoustic melee of strummed guitars and bass heavy rhythms, immediately this song grabs your attention and makes you want to hear more. The influences from the likes of Incubus are clear within this track, it’s one which demonstrates how a band can take a sound they appreciate and craft it into something which is their own, and do it damned well. The chorus is catchy and is bound to have you singing along after a couple of listens, and that’s just the tip of the ice berg! Launching full tilt into an unexpectedly heavy section, this track seems to hold surprise after surprise, always producing something new and making you question what the hell they’re going to pull next, all the time knowing that whatever it is, it’s going to be as epic as the moment before. For me though, the clincher on this track is the chorus, I keep coming back to it and just marvelling at how they’ve put it together, excellent stuff!
Fugitive From Reality follows next and seems to pick up precisely where the last track left off, opening with a simple vocal line over the drums, once again you can’t help but wonder what’s going to come next! There’s a really funky edge to thinks here, akin almost to the likes of Skindred or similar in the music, but the soothing vocal line soars above this raw power and seems to act almost as a buffer, preparing the listener for what ever else is to come. Throwing in some lead lines through the chorus, then a little drum solo, this is another track which seems to be broken into sections for you to put together, yet as a whole it works. From the selection on the bands Facebook page I would say this is my personal favourite track, there’s something here which I really connected with, almost a combination of Skindred, Incubus and Trust Company, if that makes sense! As it comes to a close and Apathy comes into being though, once again all of the raw aggression is removed and replaced with emotional guitar lines, soaring vocals, bass heavy rhythms and a tune which will stick in your head for days. Once again there’s some serious Incubus going on here, not as a carbon copy but as a band who look up to their peers and take their lead from them. This all seems to fade out through the chorus though as once again you’re launched into a riff packed mix of harmonic melodies and vocal lines which will leave you wondering why you’ve not heard of these guys before.
Through The Divine comes up next, sounding like Alter Bridge as it opens but soon taking on a depth which they’ve not yet achieved, the drums shake you to your core as the track comes into being fully. The acoustic lead line seems to echo around behind everything, almost sounding haunting when combined with the soft vocals, once again forming a mix which you can’t help but be engaged by. Finding that distortion pedal once again, you’re thrown into a funky mix of hammering riffs, soaring vocal lines and catchy hooks, all forming together into something which you just want to hear more and more of. There’s a real hint of Boy Hits Car in the chorus to this track, I think it’s in the layered vocals but there’s something there which took me back to 2001 and watching them play live, seriously though evoking music going on here. Breakthrough (Watch Me Begin) closes the selection of tracks here effectively (there are two further acoustic tracks which I highly recommend you check out, but for the review I’ll close things here) and does it in style. Launching into the track heavy, before kicking back to a more refined and balanced sound, immediately everything you had suspected about this band comes into fruition, it’s awesome. This track is a pure example of why you should check these guys out, it’s accomplished, well written and well produced, all forming tracks which you will listen to time and time again, what a couple of tracks!
Six Sided Halo were sent through to me before Christmas so I’ve had a fair amount of time to sit on this one to decide what I thought, and I know that as someone looking in I’ve got to remain balanced in my views, but I really like these guys! The music is like the missing link from the nu-metal movement of the early 2000’s to what music has become now, it’s familiar yet fresh and will have you wanting more. Having heard these tracks I consider myself a fan from here in, and can’t wait to see what they come up with next – please guys, keep making music like this, and for gods sake, send me an album!
To find out more about Six Sided Halo, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Also - check out the bands website on www.sixsidedhalo.com
Opening with Six Sided Halo, I was immediately blown away by the depth these guys have managed to achieve in their recording, the bass seems to echo through everything and create a massively deep sound. Moving from a relatively heavy opening into a softer acoustic melee of strummed guitars and bass heavy rhythms, immediately this song grabs your attention and makes you want to hear more. The influences from the likes of Incubus are clear within this track, it’s one which demonstrates how a band can take a sound they appreciate and craft it into something which is their own, and do it damned well. The chorus is catchy and is bound to have you singing along after a couple of listens, and that’s just the tip of the ice berg! Launching full tilt into an unexpectedly heavy section, this track seems to hold surprise after surprise, always producing something new and making you question what the hell they’re going to pull next, all the time knowing that whatever it is, it’s going to be as epic as the moment before. For me though, the clincher on this track is the chorus, I keep coming back to it and just marvelling at how they’ve put it together, excellent stuff!
Fugitive From Reality follows next and seems to pick up precisely where the last track left off, opening with a simple vocal line over the drums, once again you can’t help but wonder what’s going to come next! There’s a really funky edge to thinks here, akin almost to the likes of Skindred or similar in the music, but the soothing vocal line soars above this raw power and seems to act almost as a buffer, preparing the listener for what ever else is to come. Throwing in some lead lines through the chorus, then a little drum solo, this is another track which seems to be broken into sections for you to put together, yet as a whole it works. From the selection on the bands Facebook page I would say this is my personal favourite track, there’s something here which I really connected with, almost a combination of Skindred, Incubus and Trust Company, if that makes sense! As it comes to a close and Apathy comes into being though, once again all of the raw aggression is removed and replaced with emotional guitar lines, soaring vocals, bass heavy rhythms and a tune which will stick in your head for days. Once again there’s some serious Incubus going on here, not as a carbon copy but as a band who look up to their peers and take their lead from them. This all seems to fade out through the chorus though as once again you’re launched into a riff packed mix of harmonic melodies and vocal lines which will leave you wondering why you’ve not heard of these guys before.
Through The Divine comes up next, sounding like Alter Bridge as it opens but soon taking on a depth which they’ve not yet achieved, the drums shake you to your core as the track comes into being fully. The acoustic lead line seems to echo around behind everything, almost sounding haunting when combined with the soft vocals, once again forming a mix which you can’t help but be engaged by. Finding that distortion pedal once again, you’re thrown into a funky mix of hammering riffs, soaring vocal lines and catchy hooks, all forming together into something which you just want to hear more and more of. There’s a real hint of Boy Hits Car in the chorus to this track, I think it’s in the layered vocals but there’s something there which took me back to 2001 and watching them play live, seriously though evoking music going on here. Breakthrough (Watch Me Begin) closes the selection of tracks here effectively (there are two further acoustic tracks which I highly recommend you check out, but for the review I’ll close things here) and does it in style. Launching into the track heavy, before kicking back to a more refined and balanced sound, immediately everything you had suspected about this band comes into fruition, it’s awesome. This track is a pure example of why you should check these guys out, it’s accomplished, well written and well produced, all forming tracks which you will listen to time and time again, what a couple of tracks!
Six Sided Halo were sent through to me before Christmas so I’ve had a fair amount of time to sit on this one to decide what I thought, and I know that as someone looking in I’ve got to remain balanced in my views, but I really like these guys! The music is like the missing link from the nu-metal movement of the early 2000’s to what music has become now, it’s familiar yet fresh and will have you wanting more. Having heard these tracks I consider myself a fan from here in, and can’t wait to see what they come up with next – please guys, keep making music like this, and for gods sake, send me an album!
To find out more about Six Sided Halo, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Also - check out the bands website on www.sixsidedhalo.com
