SERIOUS BEAK — Huxwhukw (review)

SERIOUS BEAK — Huxwhukw album cover Album · 2011 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Conor Fynes
'Huxwhukw' - Serious Beak (5/10)

Austrailian tech metal act Serious Beak is new to the scene, but they have already been sparking some waves amongst the progressive metal community. Being a major fan of bands like Blotted Science and Canvas Solaris, I often jump at the opportunity to hear a band that takes the aggression of metal and channels it through precise composition and instrumental fury. 'Huxwhukw' was released in 2011, and while only now coming to my attention, it is clear that the band's more dissonance-centric style has plenty of potential. That being said, 'Huxwhukw' has not stirred me in a way tech metal has not already done many times over.

Serious Beak is much like fellow tech metallers Dysrhythmia in the sense that they channel their musical skills into creating slightly jarring compositions, as opposed to the sort of virtuosity that flows over the listener. Serious Beak does not innovate anything in their sound that comes across as being entirely fresh, but 'Huxwhukw' is a different breed of animal than a lot of technical metal you may have heard. There is a stark post-rock feel to Serious Beak whenever they are exercising dynamic, and when they are heavy, they convey the sort of chaotic energy I normally expect from mathcore. There is not much middle ground for Serious Beak; they are either tweaking out and chucking ideas into a listener's ear at a hundred miles a minute, or they are gently letting their instruments whisper softly to each other. More than often, the transitions between these two aspects is sudden and jarring, and although the first few times is a bit of a shock, the rocky switches become ironically predictable.

Serious Beak have plenty of energy to them, but their sound comes off as feeling a little plain. Although this is more a cause of the recording rather than the musicians' performance itself, I found that 'Huxwhukw's fairly dry recording and slant of 'predictable chaos' ran the music into the depths of monotony within a few listens. Although 'Huxwhukw's mathy angle does not fit my tastes however, the band's energy is enough for me to say that Serious Beak could go somewhere very cool with their sound in the future. I'm just not quite feeling their sound at the moment.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Suffocated By Fungal Odors Deathcore
VISCERAL EXECRATION
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lethargy Metalcore
HEARTLAPSE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vitriol Deathcore
BEHEADING THE ICON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cecità Atmospheric Sludge Metal
NITRITONO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Resiliencia Metalcore
SOURCE OF MYSTERIES
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Suicidal Tendencies - Send Me Your Money
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 12 hours ago
Suicidal Tendencies - Trip at the Brain
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 12 hours ago
Suicidal Tendencies - Nobody Hears
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 12 hours ago
Suicidal Tendencies - You Can't Bring Me Down
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 12 hours ago
Thanatos - Source Of Mysteries (Video Oficial)
SOURCE OF MYSTERIES
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed