Release
date: May 27th
2016. Label: Holy Roar Records. Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
II:
For Mankind – Tracklisting
1.Pyaaz
Bhonghi
2.The
Uncle
3.Zoltar
4.White
Dwarf
Band
Members:
Jo
Lee
Adam
Review:
This
band’s last offering was in 2013. The debut was sludge served at
the perfect doom temperature. I have awaited another release with
eager anticipation. The wait is over. Haast's Eagled II:For Mankind
is upon us.
Haast's
Eagled tips the ladle, basting your simmering brain with black butter
and as you enjoy the concoction waves warming the folded crevices of
your mind, the cannibal next door is salivating at the aroma of the
imagined recipe. This album stirs your emotions through sound.
The
4 tracks are as follows:
Pyaaz
Bhonghi - The opening song begins with droning distorted doom and
tribal drums that rumble in like a thunderstorm. The elongated
adenoidal vocals trade off with a chronic "Lurch" belch.
Midway through is a slow daydream like portion which is haunting in
effect. We are then given a powerful, soaring vocal passage which
allows you to contemplate why the leaves turn red before they are
completely dead. A piano version of the theme creates an emotional
and stirring end to the song.
The
Uncle - This tune begins as a fade in distortion, which is soon
coated with the same shrill beak like vocals and the return of
“Lurch” and his chronic indigestion. This offering is winged doom
escaping through the creaking of the coffin lid. I don’t know the
meaning of this song, but all my Uncles were creepy folk with leering
eyes and foul breath, which this song resonates triumphant.
Zoltar
- This track is a 20 minute opus. It has plucking strings and echoed
strums of guitar conjoined with murky piano. It reminded me of the
slow deconstruction of a grainy Zeppelin or Floyd recording. The
vocals consist of melancholic chants of a defrocked monk and
passionate singing passages of a lamenting paladin. The song picks up
the pace to a galloping grunge over the half way mark with the
victorious vocals of a vindicated philosopher and slows down again
with mountainous drums, open chords and guttural sounds, not unlike
an old sluggish 78 vinyl. Piano returns to accompany the dual
soprano/baritone vocals, and a horned instrument makes the passage
more heart rendering in its overall composition. The ending is pure
life on Mars presenting the band firing all guns with old Sgt.
“Lurch” pulling a last minute vocal duty again.
White
Dwarf - This song hums as if recorded within a humid dungeon,
resulting in fluid vocals and resonant instruments. The song
eventually grabs you with an old style bob along song structure and
vocal part causing you to nod in unison.
The
album cover is rendered in shades of red and depicts a man
lobotomized by a tusk larger than a sabre tooth. This must be the end
result of aboriginal man, the basic urge we deny exists today.
The
bipolar song architecture is perfect for the rage and ache within
every self aware man. I would listen to this while I contemplate the
words for the inscription on my tombstone.
This
is a great album and a passionate experience for those willing to
invest the sentiment and give it a spin.
Words
by Na Palmisano
Thanks
to Holy Roar Records for the promo. II: For Mankind – will be
available to buy via Holy Roar Records and Haast's Eagled BandCamp Page from May 27th 2016 on CD/DD/Vinyl.
Links: