H.O.U.N.D.S @ Percy Picklebacker’s, Nottingham

October 23, 2021. Percy Picklebacker’s, Nottingham.
Review & Photos: Tasha Brown

Say what you will about the grass-root music scene, it’s taken a hell of a hit over the past 18 months. While larger tours are starting to emerge from the darkness, audiences seem somewhat hesitant to support smaller. This isn’t a new phenomenon by any means, but after the live music industry completely flatlined, these up-and-coming bands are still in need of a jump start. Enter Percy Picklebacker’s the host of the Survivors Of The Apocalypse festival in Nottingham. Looking at the line up, there was one familiar name Total Rock couldn’t miss out on.

It’s undeniable there has been a buzz around H.O.U.N.D.S as of late. The Isle Of Wight based hardcore band have accumulated over 80 thousand streams across four singles in the space of a year. When you add the fact they’ve bagged themselves a slot on the main stage of next year’s Fajtfest, it’s safe to say this band come with expectations. If their choice of walk on music is anything to go by, H.O.U.N.D.S are keen to defy them. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL’s Bad Moon Rising piques the interest of those glued to their phones. Confused looks are shot around the room, mostly directed at the stepladder on the floor as four of the five casually stride onto the stage.

Darting out from the somewhat smaller crowd, vocalist Ash Hoy is quick to make his mark. From the makeshift metal alter, screams of “you’re gonna die before you die” sound as if a sermon is being delivered from the mount. Die Before You Die serves as H.O.U.N.D.S’ litmus test. Oscillating riffs from Dave Aitken and Jack Taylor set the tone for their run time.

Surveying the crowd’s reaction from the plinth, Hoy changes tact mid set, adapting to headbangers over moshers. Nevertheless, Prey’s chaos has the band throw themselves to their DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN influence. Ben Paget’s scintillating bass lines crawl up our calves and suddenly stop due to an errant wire pull. Clumsy footwork aside, elements of hardcore, metalcore, and a thick sludge metal riff or two smash together to form what is an incomparable half hour of ruthless brutality.

Fuelled by the huge energy from his backline, Hoy spends the majority of the set pacing the floor, eager to expel some of his pent up adrenaline. It’s this which makes him the visual focal point behind the parapet the stepladder has become. With its militant captain at the helm, Yellow Belly is H.O.U.N.D.S at its tightest. Paget and drummer Josh Lawrence serve as the highly strung trebuchet launching the band into the fray. A salacious grind from Taylor into the breakdown and subsequent outro is met with scrunched up expressions of appreciation from a crowd which chooses to absorb rather than react.

Expectations are notoriously hard to live up to. Frankly, the idea of something can often be better than the reality. 30 minutes of brutal beatdowns, literally in-your-face aggression, and bone rattling riffs later, though, H.O.U.N.D.S not only live up to their online hype but prove why their particular train has been picking up its massive momentum in the first place. The recent announcement of their debut album, VILE, set for release on December 17 is sure to add more fuel to the fire.

Rating: 8/10