Review: Drug Hunt ‘Feast’
Drug Hunt‘s core consists of teenage friends guitar/vocalists Rory Morison and Jason Meyers accompanied by Nick Sinutko on keys, Adam Baumhardt on bass, and Declan Halloran (El Vez/Dani Bell and The Tarantist) on drums. The album also includes additional backing vocals from Jess Roberts (Deap Vally/The Everettes), Willi Flemming and Jesse Audelo (Sure Fire Soul Ensemble/Fresh Veggies Micro Brass) om brass and flute arrangements with percussion courtesy of Matt Bozzone (Space Hall Sound Machine/Mitchum Yacoub).
Prior to Feast we had the 2019 single Tristeza, 2020’s self-titled EP and two more standalone singles in 2023 Through The Night and We Are Dying, the latter two featuring Mexican multi-instrumentalist Adrián Terrazas-González (The Mars Volta/Omar Rodríguez-López). The band have supported WAND, Earthless, Dead Meadow and Ty Segall so with a resume like that, big things are expected, it’ll be interesting to see if they can be delivered.
Jungle, the album’s first single, is a blend of Pink Floyd’s Piper At The Gates Of Dawn era psych and stoner rock, as well as recalling more contemporary artists as The Sonic Dawn. There is also an undeniable proto-punk energy (Pink Fairies, Hawkwind and other Ladbrook Grove alumni) running throughout the track too. A solid start. Sheep is laden with strong King Crimson progressive tendencies of the darker variety, a more palatable band from that genre for yours truly. There are also post-punk and death-rock influences present, both the vocals and music recalling artists such as Chris D and his band The Flesh Eaters. As a huge fan of the late 70’s/early 80’s LA Punk scene (45 Grave, X, T.S.O.L., Gun Club etc) I was bowled over by this track.
Kingdom, the album’s shortest number at three minutes thirty-four seconds has a sound that once more points to the early ‘80s, though this time the surf-punk of Agent Orange. Nick Sinutko‘s synths/keyboards offer up a Hard Rock dimension too ala Uriah Heep and Deep Purple, giving the track a pleasant retro tinge. Speaking of vintage ‘70s rock, Obelisk is an absolute corker with heavy nods to Lucifer’s Friend and Birth Control, spectacularly crafted, were you lucky enough to have been around for the aforementioned bands then you’re going to love (with a capital L) what is offered here. Fans of Sacri Monti and Mondo Drag might also find plenty to smile about too.
truly unique sounds that make for fascinating listening…
Neptune reminds one of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit, were it savaged by Van Der Graff Generator (especially in the use of brassed instrumentation). There’s an omnipresent menace, no peace and love hippy bollocks here thank you very much. Shame is Hawkwind were they fronted by Johnny Rotten, the latter’s sneer particularly evident. Moments also recall Chrome and their pioneering brand of acid punk. I’d argue that this is probably the most accessible and direct the band have sounded on an album otherwise dominated by prog and psych style experimentation. It’s my personal favourite and though Jungle is great, Shame, with its sense of immediacy and urgency would have made for a stronger opening track.
What Kind Of Man is mellow with a Planet Caravan vibe about it, though a little more energy is injected around the halfway mark, a little dirt underneath the fingernails if you will. However, it never strays too far from the otherwise serene Dead Meadow Feathers/Old Growth album(s) template. A beautifully introspective conclusion to the album.
The album’s artwork gives you the impression that this might be some wacky Church Of The Cosmic Skull type affair. However, Feast is far more substantial with some excellent songwriting and truly unique sounds that make for fascinating listening.
Label: Bad Vibes Good Friends
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Reza Mills
