This is it: the masked Arizona four-piece comprised of Francis Harold and his holograms has put an end to its endeavors, at least in LP-form. They will not be forgotten, for their freewheeling punk demeanor, interactive live sets, and cult-activity-photoshoot sleeves would be indelible memories to any onlooker. Their four-year stint as a band has proven itself to be remarkably consistent; between their seven-inches and only full-length the fabric's remained coarse.
As far as closing statements go, The White Bull Weeps At Valhalla's noise-ridden potency is in league with that of Mayyors' Deads EP or Drunkdriver's self-titled album. Comparing this EP to the Holograms' first single is like trying to establish the difference between the mind of Charles Manson at age 34 and itself today. Of the most audible distinctions is its recording, which is stripped of the blown-out saturation and encompasses a muffled analog undercurrent.
Introducing "White Bull" is a theme to preface battle, embracing a dramatic drum circle and thespian strings. A touch like this would make any habitue of the band chuckle, and the fact that it's a film-sourced sample is confirmed once the band's blistering feedback-drenched murk gushes out. Harold's delay-fed howl and the Holograms' driving four chords conjure a hellish, pit-dwelling mutant of '80s hardcore punk and circa-2009 garage rock.
The savage cymbal-snare throb and overriding guitar squall of "Chinese Head" recalls Billy Bao at his bleakest. Though the Holograms' menacing riffage prompts unease, it's Harold's resonant scream that leaves a fog of torture over the song entirely. The 9-minute "My Hell" is one of the band's least mistakable works to date, laced with disconcerting piano melodies and off-the-wall trumpet soloing. The jam itself is more assertive than its peripheral additions, trudging sinisterly along descending chugs. By its culmination, the Holograms are engulfed in discord, which has been explained as the demise of their instruments during the session. A novice could acquaint themselves with any one of Francis Harold and the Holograms' releases, but amidst their tightly knit discography The White Bull rings loudly as their most exploratory.
[Francis Harold and the Holograms Facebook]
[Buy/Download The White Bull Weeps At Valhalla from Video Disease Records]
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