HeKz, Caerus

Today another firmly in the rock zone, metallic and prog-oriented. Here are HeKz, a talented quintet who fashion committed lyrics woven around songwriting of a memorable nature and laced with intricate instrumental routines that keep your ears busy in good ways. The album at hand is Caerus (bmhaudio 001), nine ambitious numbers featuring the out-front bass guitar and vocals of Matt Young, handy and idiomatic guitar work from Alastair Beveridge and Tom Smith, the keys of James Messenger and the drums of Kirk Brandham. They meld together as a unified well-drilled rock machine, not especially sounding like anybody as much as embodying metal-prog as state-of-the-art contemporaneity.

The vocals have that boisterous musicality that are what you might expect from such a group. Guitar solos show the hammering-on rapidity so much a part of the technical bag of accomplished players these days, but do not over rely upon speed.

The full impact of the band in their fully arranged music is what stands out as a whole in the end. HeKz will satisfy your need for something heavy and well put-together. A winner for those who enjoy the genre!