‘…demands respect and attention for its sheer audacity; this is Berghain via Whitby Abbey…’
It has been three and a half years since we last heard from London art rock provocateurs HMLTD. Famed for their genre-blending antics and avant-garde presentation, the band became cult favourites long before their debut record dropped, and cemented their status as a magnificently unpredictable talent with the release of their 2023 symphonic concept album, ‘The Worm’.
Surprisingly, however, the silence that followed was perhaps louder than their incredible sophomore record; live performances were minimal, with no supporting tour, and the band would disappear all but entirely throughout 2024 and 2025. Behind the scenes, HMLTD were deep in combat with the creative process; an indie rock album was shelved completely, the band shed several members, and relocated to record their record in a half-ruined manor house in France’s Loire Valley. Now a four-piece and seeking to herald a gothic insurrection, ‘FANGS’ was born.
‘FANGS’ is an utterly bizarre, bold musical experiment that, even when it misses the mark, demands respect and attention for its sheer audacity; this is Berghain via Whitby Abbey. Art rock sits alongside gabber and darkwave sounds, toying with ideas from synthpop, industrial rock, and gothic rock. Pulsing dance breakdowns merge into lo-fi pop musings and theatrical progressive numbers. It is one hallucinatory, bloodlust fuelled experience after another, keeping you pinned firmly to the edge of your seat.
The record commences with one of the year’s finest three track runs. ‘What The Hell’ is a stupidly bombastic opening number, vocalist Henry Spychalski singing of the endless hedonistic night and the dark roiling chaos of the nightclub. ‘I Used To Ride In Limousines’ is an effortlessly cool affair throughout, as chunky riffs meld with gloomy hints of synthwave in a jagged, haunting dance. ‘Umami’ ups the ante even further, arriving as a sultry synthpop banger with hypnotic choruses, before transforming into a hurtling hurricane of EDM, decorated by fantastically over-the-top choral vocals.
‘Grab The Crucifix’ is a gloomy, claustrophobic industrial rock affair that swaggers with an unrepentant weight, whilst follow-up ‘Shudder’ flirts with ideas one might anticipate from a europop track, as Spychalski offers spellbinding vocal melodies during the darkly glittering choruses. The experimentation peaks with ‘Chateau Vamp Freestyle’, testing the listener’s tolerance for absurdism. Sounding almost as if it is lifted directly from a Tim Burton musical, it is camp, theatrical affair that utilises symphonic and prog-rock elements to create something instantaneously memorable, even if a little jarring amidst all of the record’s electronic dalliances.
Lead single ‘Blitzkrieg’ sits as the record’s raucous penultimate hurrah, with the band delivering an earth-shaking, dead-waking hardcore performance. Violent gabber beats pummel the listener with riotous relentlessness, whilst Spychalski delivers lyricism of hedonistic obsession. The track’s sweeping piano led outro paves the way perfectly for moody closing number ‘Sorry For Laughing’, featuring guest vocals from Corpus Delecti. Despite eschewing the absurd theatrics of the rest of the record, it makes for a remarkably captivating and heartfelt closing number, with an understated, somber vocal performance from Spychalski.
‘FANGS’ is far from perfect; for the bulk of the record pacing is absolutely nonexistent, and the midsection does unfortunately fail to keep up with the incredible quality of the rest of the record. However, it is incredibly clear that this is a record that HMLTD needed to make to ensure that they fell back in love with their craft; one cannot deny the brilliant creativity on display here, and acknowledge that HMLTD have put on one hell of a show. Let it sink its teeth in deep.
RATING: 85/100
For Fans Of: Ditz, Lip Critic, Void Of Vision, Adult DVD, DEADLETTER
Physical copies of the record are available to purchase here.
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