Every now and then a band comes along that slots so seamlessly into the glorious history of rock‘n’roll that they seem to have formed as an evolutionary necessity to carry on the genes of the musicians that went before them.
Leeds band Hawk Eyes, previously known as Chickenhawk, don’t try to hide their influences – indeed they celebrate them, nurture them and build on them until they become far more than the sum of their parts.
Opener Witch Hunt has the kind of snakish, sexy groove Queens Of The Stone Age once reigned over, Paul Astick’s full-throated vocals taking no prisoners, while Headstrung revels in the edgy melodicism of Faith No More. Elsewhere, on the demented Milk Hog, they unleash their inner Dillinger Escape Plan, all migraine tempos and eye-popping intensity. And yet throughout all of this they retain a style and swagger that is all their own.
This band is special. If you’re feeling jaded about the music you love, Ideas is the perfect cure.
