Album Review: He Is Legend - 'Heavy Fruit'

18 August 2014 | 10:30 am | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

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It would be a gross understatement to say that when we lost He Is Legend in 2009, the metal world suffered significantly. Sure, it was only ever a hiatus, but it was devastating nonetheless. Ever consistent yet grossly underrated, the band’s return in 2011 was welcome news, as was the promise of a new album. It’s now 2014, two years later, and we finally see a new offering in the form ‘Heavy Fruit’.

Opening with ‘No Visitors’, the record kicks off with a fuzz tinged guitar riff and pounding drums that hit you with all the force of a high speed locomotive before shifting up the tempo to full speed, which the band plays around with for the remainder of the song. Yes, five years is a very long time to wait between albums from a band, but anyone who wants to tell you that He Is Legend have lost their ability to create killer material are just plain wrong.

In the lengthy gap between records, the five members that make up He Is Legend have become much better, both as songwriters and musicians, which says great things given that they were already producing some top notch music. Take for example the contrasting textures in the verse and chorus, or the incredible guitar work from Adam Tanbouz in ‘Something, Something, Something Witchy,’ or the dark, eerie soundscape into the heavily distorted final jam of ‘I Sleep Just Fine’ as just two of a multitude of examples of the band’s improvement throughout.

In the context of everything that comes before it, ‘Be Easy’ stands out, having a notably more southern style than any of the other tracks on the record, which gives the song the type of groove that feels very smooth and natural, all while again showcasing the huge level of musical talent that there is for the group to put on display.

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The album closes with title track ‘Heavy fruit’, which sees things off in a haze of heavily distorted guitars and sludgy bass that leaves you without any doubt that He Is Legend took no shortcuts on this release.

Fans of the band may have been kept waiting for quite some time, but ‘Heavy Fruit’ was well and truly worth the wait.

  1. No Visitors
  2. This Will Never Work
  3. Miserable Company
  4. Something, Something, Something Witchy
  5. I Sleep Just Fine
  6. Beethozart
  7. Spout Mouth
  8. Be Easy
  9. Time To Stain
  10. ABRACADABRA
  11. Smoker Scoff
  12. The Carpet
  13. Heavy Fruit