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HEYWIRE
HeyWire

Massacre (2015)
Rating: 4.5/10

Formed in 2005, Danish band HeyWire has been through six lead vocalists over its career, but finally settled on the talents of a chap named Anders Mandrup (who also plays bass) who joins founding members Jay Jayson (guitar) and Taz Plummer (drums), alongside Jørgen Hansen (keyboards).

HeyWire’s self-titled debut offering consist of ten tracks which are very much daubed in that distinctly European flavour in that there’s a nice metallic gallop throughout, but the opus is tinged strongly with progressive and almost cosmic touches.

This is melodic metal played well and attempting to showcase originality by way of some unusual musical structures, never allowing for a hint of predictability. However, this isn’t always good. The reason I say this is because HeyWire’s rather tepid and awkward sound doesn’t always sit well with me; the whole affair comes across as rather lukewarm, lightweight and understated in spite of its tendency to infuse some unfamiliar keyboard segments with that tame melodic metal trudge.

I’ve played this record several times and I like some of the anthemic choruses – namely on opener ‘Never Blink Again’ – but I have no real clue as to which beast it wants to be. While I enjoy the symphonic flair, this seems to take precedence over the guitar which ambles along with a hard rock quality tinged with pop nuances. The album is strewn with some half-decent vocal harmonies although for the most part Anders Mandrup’s tone is somewhat of a misplaced warble, and if you ask me HeyWire still should be searching for that missing piece in regards to the vocals. There is nothing commanding about Mandrup’s presence as each track basically drifts by without any real effect on the listener, and there appears to be a distinct lack of warmth about a style of music that I often find cosy.

So, HeyWire’s debut record is one that combines heaps of melody, a hard rock ethos and just a faint hint of power metal strategy, and yet there’s rarely an epic or overly memorable moment. While nice subtleties are exhibited with ‘Lean On Me’ and ‘Love’, the rest of the rockier tracks seem to meander along with no real direction. As I stated previous, the keyboards can at times be the most colourful aspect of the material, but in other instances it tends to be a hindrance and yet without them this would be an incredibly dull opus.

Although having more in common with the likes of Deep Purple than anything dynamically metal, as debut albums go this isn’t one that is going to make an impact. Sometimes it’s best to be cruel to be kind, and for me there’s just something so nondescript about this offering.

Neil Arnold

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