The mysterious, eerie half step tensions of "End of Days" by San Diego, California based Hauntu seep into you, under your skin or maybe directly into your psyche depending on how you are. You know what I mean, it is like when people ask you "how are you are doing?" to be polite and you dare not reveal how you are really doing, how scared you are of the future as all those uncontrollable entities are fucking with you... now I digress. We do live in a time, whether it be the White Christian Nationalists or Social Justice Warriors (on either side) do throw around the end times, figuratively or actually. Hauntu's lyrics laced with a history of various governments since the beginning of time (again) fucking with people living in the margins, those with less power always find themselves at the end of pointy sticks or in cage or dead. Maybe I am deep diving but I feel the potent rage of broken treaties, of placing citizens in internment camps because they happen to be Japanese, etc, etc, etc within these lyrics and those aforementioned half step tensions from C sharp to C (or something like that). The crunchy rolling guitars and potent tom tom beats, rattling bass and sense of thunderous ambience as a framework for those lyrics and dark truthful thoughts works well as a point of artistic expression and thoughtful reflection. All this cosmic angst works too because of the incredible vocals that, at times, feels more like a deeply rooted spiritual possession than a vocal performance. I love it.
"land of the free
or so it seems
feed me more hypocrisy
seek and destroy
one thousand million times
foresee
the end of days"
or so it seems
feed me more hypocrisy
seek and destroy
one thousand million times
foresee
the end of days"
The sound with hits of metal, sludge, classic rock, post punk as an alt rock iteration of different decades feels sort of timeless really. As LINER NOTES reveal, Hauntu features current and former members of the bands: Tulpa Luna/Warsaw, Holy Tears, Island of Thieves, Sleeping Ghost, Ilya, Kata, Goodbye Blue Monday, The Dropscience, Like Millions, The Old in Out, Fluf, and more. This first introduction (for me) is a nice one, really nice. When I listen to music I see things and have imagined Hauntu as both raging hippies and gothic rock warriors with the same DNA as Rage Against the Machine in a bold Metallica stance, that is a wide diverse feeling, I know. I wonder what you are seeing.
-Robb Donker Curtius
https://www.facebook.com/hauntuhauntme
https://www.instagram.com/hauntuhauntme
Immediate. Dangerous. Real. These were the first words uttered to describe Hauntu. A product of pandemic isolation, these initial tracks from Hauntu were written as a reaction to what’s become of the world these last few years. The weight, the panic, and the dread that living through post-pandemic capitalism and imperialism has placed upon humanity. There is a fine balance between the urgency for action, and the need to escape to seek solace throughout these songs. Hauntu’s sound is dark, heavy, and straight to the gut with hints of metal and goth strewn throughout its garagey undertones. But not all is bleak - Hauntu’s message is also filled with beauty and hope. Songs like “Panic” show a slightly lighter side, with a somewhat satirical take on late night panic attacks in contrast to the harsh realities conveyed through “End of Days.” Taking inspiration from bands like Wipers and Hot Snakes with a very immediate, in your face approach to fast down-stroked guitars, and infusing layers of lush, pretty, and dare I say catchy melodic female vocals. Vocals that give Hauntu their true identity, separating them from all others. This isn’t your run of the mill guitar band, this is something new, something we haven’t heard before. It’s immediate, it’s dangerous, it’s real, and it’s going to leave a mark. Hauntu features current and former members of the bands: Tulpa Luna/Warsaw, Holy Tears, Island of Thieves, Sleeping Ghost, Ilya, Kata, Goodbye Blue Monday, The Dropscience, Like Millions, The Old in Out, Fluf, and more.
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.facebook.com/hauntuhauntme
https://www.instagram.com/hauntuhauntme
Immediate. Dangerous. Real. These were the first words uttered to describe Hauntu. A product of pandemic isolation, these initial tracks from Hauntu were written as a reaction to what’s become of the world these last few years. The weight, the panic, and the dread that living through post-pandemic capitalism and imperialism has placed upon humanity. There is a fine balance between the urgency for action, and the need to escape to seek solace throughout these songs. Hauntu’s sound is dark, heavy, and straight to the gut with hints of metal and goth strewn throughout its garagey undertones. But not all is bleak - Hauntu’s message is also filled with beauty and hope. Songs like “Panic” show a slightly lighter side, with a somewhat satirical take on late night panic attacks in contrast to the harsh realities conveyed through “End of Days.” Taking inspiration from bands like Wipers and Hot Snakes with a very immediate, in your face approach to fast down-stroked guitars, and infusing layers of lush, pretty, and dare I say catchy melodic female vocals. Vocals that give Hauntu their true identity, separating them from all others. This isn’t your run of the mill guitar band, this is something new, something we haven’t heard before. It’s immediate, it’s dangerous, it’s real, and it’s going to leave a mark. Hauntu features current and former members of the bands: Tulpa Luna/Warsaw, Holy Tears, Island of Thieves, Sleeping Ghost, Ilya, Kata, Goodbye Blue Monday, The Dropscience, Like Millions, The Old in Out, Fluf, and more.
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