Review: Hoaxed ‘Two Shadows’
So in this day and time, the world has been hit with a plethora of duos. Some are good and some are bad. Some don’t even fit the mould in any way, shape or form. This is the category I’d put Hoaxed in. It’s metal, but not in the way you may expect. Kat Keo’s vocals took me by surprise, with the clean notes and a very pure sense of melody, they offset the dark desperation of the lyrics. It also adds to the uniqueness of this outfit.
The opening and title track, Two Shadows, is a brief intro into the album, and even in the abruptness of this tune, I could hear the ghost of Morricone calling to me through the dark. The Call then comes in hot on its heels and hits hard and fast with a slick and taut power metal intro and a rolling drumbeat.
For Love has a cool bass riff to bring it in, and an even cooler bass tone I might add, while Grand Illusion touches on some ironies of life (lyrically). The church organ that rolls into High Seas is a nice touch. The song itself has a broody edge and gets pummelled around the ring by Kim Coffel’s trademark slamming drums, and Guilty Ones continues the creepy vibe, with a gentle guitar line threading its way throughout the song and some operatic vocals slinking around in the background.
the ethereal layered vocals giving the hefty and dark tunes a haunting edge…
The insistent war drum stomp (makes me think of the Janissaries’ marching into battle!) on Where Good Won’t Go eventually relents to allow this song to breathe freely whilst recounting a tale of woe and unheeded warnings. Forsaken is the closing track, and hits with an almost classical style with the pacing, shifting and morphing as needed in a mercurial fashion.
Vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo and drummer Kim Coffel mesh well musically, with the ethereal layered vocals giving the hefty and dark tunes a haunting edge. Overall, Two Shadows is a cool shade of bleak, and the restless and unceasing heartbreak of the lyrics are the perfect foil for the songs and their complex makeup. Musically, the metal edge is also coloured with a distinctive ‘80s underground vibe, kinda like Siouxsie and the Banshees at their primal peak swapping fluids with some orchestral power metal, and has shitloads of style and class to go with it.
Label: Relapse Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: El Jefe
