Hawthorne Heights are notorious for their eclectic musical style, classified as anything between pop-punk, screamo and post-hardcore. Their newest release comes in the form of a nine-track EP and represents the first of three instalments. Hate, living up to its name,has some of the darkest and heaviest material from Hawthorne Heights and is being released through their own record label, the record evidently the product of uninfluenced and label-free writing and recording.
The beginning of the EP may well take fans by surprise. “There Was A Kid (Part 1)” could be easily mistaken for Touché Amoré – manic-depressive lyrics churn until “Is This What You Wanted?” takes the reins with a screaming-assault and melancholic verses. There are even smacks of Finch as the cathartic yells remind of “What It Is To Burn.”
This is not, however, a totally new band. “Divided,” “Four White Walls” and “Stay Awake/Stay Alive” allow for a half-way house between the millennial screamo and alt-rock reminiscent of the Used. On the former, maniacal guitar riffs descend into a vocal battle between the nasally JT Woodruff (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), who at times echoes Set Your Goals vocalist Matt Wilson, and the beautifully-executed screams of Micah Carli (lead guitar, unclean vocals).
Yet, Hawthorne Heights are still at their best with their pop numbers. Ironically, these are the most depressing tracks on the EP. “Wasted in NYC” is a pummelling, if not miserable, affair, with the lyrics “I’m tired of chasing dreams” once again sung with one eye looking to the past, this time drawing comparisons to Home Grown’s John Tran and to Jason Maffucci of Just Surrender. The standout song is title track “Hate” – taking emo out of the hands of angsty teens and making it accessible to the older generations with the relatable lyrics “I hate my job, I hate my life.” This all compounded by epic and squealing guitar licks and festival-sized beats.
All in all, Hawthorne Heights have proved that they don’t need a big-name label to produce their music and continue to set their standards high. With two more EPs to come, they’ve got a lot to live up to.
★★★★☆
*This review was composed by Ramsey Marwan
