HeadFury – A New World (2020)
If you are looking for an EP that offers a compelling mixture of emotive ballads, metalcore and hard-hitting rock, HeadFury has just what you need. Their debut EP A New World pulses their infectious riffs, punchy drums and emotional lyrical into your veins. With something that appeals to everyone, the EP is packed with awesomeness and really lets you know what the band can do.
This amalgamation of sound is the result of months of work by Vince van der Walt (guitar, bass), Gideon Kretschmer (vocals, synths) and Wayne de Bruyn (drums). Kretschmer and van der Walt first met in 2005 while in different bands and de Bruyn performed on the same scene. 15 years later, de Bruyn and van der Walt were laying the foundations of the band’s music and roped in Kretschmer through a WhatsApp.
The EP starts with ‘Paleface’ which draws you in with an interesting line and police scanner in the background. The melody builds into a complete melter of a single full of pounding guitars and fighting vocals. There is a good melodic flow to the music with Kretschmer’s vocals adding to the melody before soaring on the chorus. The lyrics have a heavy hit that thuds against your chest and fills you with a sense of social injustice and the need to fight for what is right.
‘Phantom Lover’ continues the melodic flow of the opening track. However, the vocals take a different turn with an almost hazy performance. The vocals seem to float over the riff-heavy melody creating an interesting separation. The pounding of the melody matches the heavier chorus which crashes through your brain. There is an infectious feeling to this track that has you soaring with it.
‘Icarus’ has a lighter feeling to it as it channels the ancient Greek myth. As you soar through the air with the melody, the vocals are soft as they swell below you like an updraft. It is a great easy track for the middle of the EP and shows that there is more to the band than the heavy sounds of the last two tracks. While there is a light vibe to this track, the lyrics and vocals have an emotive hit that fills you with a sense of abandon and searches for redemption.
The next track is ‘Monterrey’ which has a great melodic rock opening that easily draws you into the escapism of the track. There is a sense of searching within this song that makes you want to get away from the mundanity of reality. This feeling flows through the vocals as they soar on the chorus with the melody bolstering them. There is a lot going on with this track as you are sent searching for something while being filled with hope after a struggle. There is a lot of pain laced into the vocals and lyrics soothed by a sense of relief.
‘On Dust Devils and Raging Bulls’ brings the heavy sounds back, but there is a groovy flow to everything. The pulsing opening is different from the rest of the EP easing you before you are thrown into the utter riff monster of a melody. The groovy riffs get you moving to the flow of the band before the vocals drive you to facing up to your demons. There is an infectious vibe to this song that sinks into your veins and pumps through your body.
The EP ends with ‘Pantomime’ which highlights the range of the band. This acoustic ballad opens with a guitar riff before the somewhat emo vocals and lyrics grip you. There is a melancholic edge to the music, but the light notes bring a glimmer of hope and happiness. The harmonisations bring a depth to the single that truly touches your heart and tugs on your emotions. The ballad sets you down softly after the pace of the EP, but adds a sadness that sticks with you long after you stop listening.
HeadFury uses a compelling mixture of ballads, emo melodies, heavy riffs and hard-hitting rock to hook you to their EP A New World. Each track pulses through you and leaves you emotional in its own way. From groovy flows to complete riff monster melodies, the band really showcases what they are all about.
Find out more about HeadFury on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
