The vast punk indie / gothic noir heaviness of "Panic" by San Diego, California based Hauntu is absolutely unrelenting and seems to pull from iconic indie /post punk places. My face literally hurts from smiling listening to the explosive alt rock pummelling, at the same time I am feeling a tinge of Pixies within the sonic fluidity of the screaming guitar lines, I am also feeling the massive pounding of METZ (like A Boat to Drown)... these scattered reflections are off the top of my mind. Keyly, uniquely these are just flashes of light through rock trees and I have to be utterly clear how unique Hauntu sounds on their own right.
Any way you cut it "Panic" is an artful head banger and, once again, I am so impressed, blown away by the vocal countenance here, artfully drawn and emotionally wrought, even wrung out. The musical breaks kill too (kudos to the absolutely pulse pounding drumming) and again, the sound is fortified by slivers of things, hints of metal, sludge, classic rock, post punk, alt rock built out of many textures that ultimately feels timeless and utterly mosh worthy.
dancing through the night
dancing through my head
filling me with dread"
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
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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