genres: hardcore punk + theatrical rock
for fans of: My Chemical Romance, Queen, Rise Against
Hardcore punk and musical theater don’t often find themselves sharing a musical space, but Hellions have never been content to play by traditional punk rules. While in many ways Rue is a direct sequel to their previous album Opera Oblivia, the band trades (most) of the melodrama for unfettered fun and freedom. Though most directly drawing thematically and referentially on songs from across Queen’s discography, the callbacks to theater across the ages, from Greek dramas to Broadway productions to theatrical rock, feel very meta and self-aware and provide a truly unique perspective within the genre.
Musically, this album offers a wonderfully modern take on punk, retaining hardcore shouts (though with a rhythmic cadence that shows a great affection and study of hip-hop deliveries) and catchy choruses that sound untouched by digital polishing, but contrasting them against a very dynamic instrumental backdrop. On its own, “Odyssey”, the first real song on the album features multiple tempo changes, a symphonic interlude, the first of many gospel-influenced hand-clap backed sections on the album, and classic rock worthy guitar solos, all in 2:57. Album highlight “X (Mwah)” is up next, retaining many of the previous sonic choices, but in a much more laid-back and sunny composition. The theatrical elements swell to a crescendo on “The Lotus”. A direct sequel to “Lotus Eater” from Opera Oblivia, many of the melodic ideas are brought back, but evolved over a rapidly shifting song structure that is held together by a constant, hypnotic drum performance. Experimentations with polyphonic rap elements and multiple guest vocalists give the the song a flavor simultaneously uncomfortably unique and highly reminiscent of performances from a stage musical. Elsewhere, cinematic strings (“Furrow”), bluesy surf-rock (“Harsh Light”) and jazzy piano (“26”) offer even further proof of the band’s commitment to incorporating as many styles as possible.
Lyrically is another space the band sets themselves apart from fellow punk bands. There’s the aforementioned density to references from past artists and their own previous works that suggests a careful consideration. This consciousness and allusions to other works of art is especially effective in the context of the overarching lyrical themes of growing up and acceptance of self, and the subsequent freedom from having to make one’s own greatness through sheer force of will. Even beyond this meta-awareness, there’s a unique artistry to the band, whether in the thesaurus-drenched chorus of “X (Mwah)”:
So are we water without solubility?
We’re not so bright for breathing cosmic debris
No, we can’t see
I want vertiginous height and speed
That just might kill me
Or in the literary prose of the outro to “The Lotus”:
Flora, fauna born are devoid of the thorns
We’ve shorn here
I cannot close my eyes, can’t sleep at night
I’m yearning
We will wax and wane
We all wilt the same in this bell jar we’ve made
But it’s the destiny, of glass to break
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