Recommended Tracks: Solipsism, Made Your Mark, Slipped My Mind
Artists You May Like: Pierce the Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Dance Gavin Dance
Solipsism. Hysteriantics. Parasitic Cleanse. No, I’m not describing the plot of a horror film or listing the categories for a twisted episode of Jeopardy! These are the titles of a few tracks on Hail The Sun’s fifth studio album, New Age Filth. I know, Solipsism? Parasitic Cleanse? While these topics are a little unusual, there is no doubt that they make for intriguing themes on an album – more specifically, a Hail The Sun album.
As Hail The Sun attempt to teach us the faults of our ways on New Age Filth, they tap into the concept of love and how it can make us question our self-worth. Lead vocalist, Donovan Melero, strongly expresses the way that love can cause you to act out, like on “Domino” where he sings, “I will always learn the hard way, compromising those I love.” Melero also explores the confliction one can feel when reflecting on a relationship in “Made Your Mark,” where he sings, “And even though it’s selfish, I still want you near.” Relationships, in general, are just very scary because you do not realize how different you can become in them until it is too late.
To accompany the complex feelings brought forth from the lyrics, Hail The Sun have given us some of their most technical music to date. The guys have experimented outside of their post-hardcore realm, adding elements of pop music and alternative rock to the tracks; but, do not confuse the more melodic sound with weakness. The band has still managed to give us striking drum patterns, tedious guitar solos, and surprising tempo changes in their songs, sometimes including all of these in one!
There are times when it seems like there may be just too much going on in a track, but there is no denying that the most compelling aspect of the album is the way in which these tracks unfold. Each track is almost cinematic in nature, as the music will explode one moment, and then calm down the next. Melero also does his best to bring as much life as possible to his words, be it through whisper, such as on “Misfire,” or through scream, like on “Hysteriantics.” The attention to detail is truly stunning and ensures that there is never a dull moment.
All in all, New Age Filth is a win for Hail The Sun. The creative elements put forth by the band prove that they are not your average hardcore punk group. They have found a way to redefine the aggression that you hear in a post-hardcore setting and the brightness associated with the pop punk scene. The result is a project that makes you question the world around you and reflect on how it makes you feel. Whether you find your answers or not, you will be grateful that Hail The Sun made you go there in the first place.
You can listen to New Age Filth on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
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