HOUND: Settle Your Score (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

If we are to credit their Facebook site, the Germans of Hound, a band formed in 2014 and author of two EPs so far, have built up a reputation as an "outstanding live band" by dint of touring relentlessly in their country. And, having listened to their debut album "Settle Your Scores", we'd be tempted to take their word for it.

Because the five musicians have certainly energy to spare, as well as a great presence. "Settle Your Scores" is a very homogeneous album, playing an old school hard rock at the same time very punchy, melodious and original. The guitar and Hammond solos are all over the album, Vanya Neite's characteristic and high-pitched vocals are charismatic and often very inspired, and the bass gets some nice groovy passages. As for the drums, they seem to be set on springs but their presence is never inappropriate, not strangling the other instruments.

Don't look for ballads, this word is not part of Hound's vocabulary. This doesn't mean that there aren't some quieter passages ('Cursed Place', 'The Secret Commonwealth'), but these are quickly followed (or preceded) by more energetic moments. Far from the basic and gruff hard rock practiced by many bands, Hound interprets on the contrary often surprising scores, playing on the nuances or the variations of tempo, but generally leaving little time to the listener to breathe between thick riffs, aggressive solos and murderous rhythms. The vitality overflows from all sides of tracks like 'Not So Long Ago', 'Jim Vance', 'Not At All Hound' or the excellent 'Grit' and 'Settle Your Scores', not to mention all of them, releasing a communicative energy giving a furious desire to dance and jump in every corner.

"Settle Your Score" does not suffer from any in intensity or inspiration. Hound is a band whose filiation is between Led Zeppelin for the vocals and the structure of the compositions and Deep Purple for the guitar and Hammond organ battles. Nevertheless, it keeps a personality of its own, having known how to take the best of the previously mentioned groups and to restore it in a way as original as seductive. Between Greta Van Fleet and Hound, sophisticated old school hard rock seems to have a bright future ahead. - Official website

HOUND

SETTLE YOUR SCORE

METALVILLE

HARD ROCK