Band: Hounds
Release: The Wicked (EP)
Release Date: Out Now
Merging punk-rock with dirty bass lines and mammoth synths, Essex-based Hounds have just released their brand new EP ‘The Wicked’, and it is an absolute belter. Their devastating live performances and colossal electro tunes have gained them spots supporting the likes of The Prodigy and Does It Offend You, Yeah? and with a set at this year’s Download Festival lined up, Hounds’ future is looking pretty bright.
‘Fan The Flames of the Fire’ is the explosive first track off ‘The Wicked’, and you can really hear The Prodigy‘s influence on this song. It is no surprise then that Liam Howlett of The Prodigy has labelled this his favourite Hounds track, with the mix of pulsating drum beats and tasty synths complementing the ambient vocals perfectly.
Second track off the EP ‘Shark In The Water’ is arguably the biggest song on ‘The Wicked’, with mosh-worthy bass lines and skittering drums colliding into a gigantic force-field of funk. It drops and rises in all the right places, and is a brilliantly textured combination of gnarly drum’n’bass and dynamic punk-rock. Following track ‘The Wicked Witch’ isn’t quite as heavy as its predecessor, but the mellower dance beats overlapping the usual hard-hitting dubstep rhythms make it a much more diverse tune. It is no surprise to hear that Hounds have been labelled as “fucking great live” by Liam Howlett himself; the band’s tracks are all so varied yet so vibrant that you can’t help but just want to get up and lose your mind to them.
Closing song ‘Posh Boy’ is possibly the most chilled song on the EP, but with an infectious beat behind it, it is by no means boring. Hounds have really brought something new to the table with this EP, and in a musical world filled by carbon copy after carbon copy, ‘The Wicked’ is a much welcomed breath of fresh air into our lungs. With Hounds member Olly Burden stating: “This EP is just a taster of what’s to come. It’s a snap shot of where we are at right now and just enough to whet the appetite whilst we cook up the next release”, we absolutely cannot wait to hear more from this band.
8/10
Reviewer: Emily Carter
