Huntress – Static

“Static” marks album number 3 for Huntress, and it is by far their strongest effort to date. The record doesn’t display a drastic change in sound; in fact, it’s largely similar to the first two Huntress records in style, but it does show a substantial improvement in several areas, most notably in the songwriting and the individual performances. The first of those two areas is where the biggest leap has been made. The first couple Huntress albums were good, but they only had a few truly memorable songs each, while the remainder of the material was simply good. By contrast, the entire first half of “Static” is incredible, ranging from the high-speed opener, “Sorrow”, to the stalkerish “Brian” (admittedly this is without reading the lyrics, and just picking up certain lines by ear), to the lengthy slow number, “Mania”. The last of these tracks reaches almost 9 minutes, but it took about 4 spins of this record before I realized that it was longer than anything else, which is a testament to just how great the song is.  

These songs excel because they’re driven by incredibly strong vocal performances and an improved performance from frontwoman Jill Janus. Even though she can hit some high notes, her voice is at its best when it is a bit more mid-range, and she definitely displays more restraint on this record. In the past, she did occasionally fall prey to wailing syndrome, but that is largely non-existent on “Static”. Similarly, the harsh vocals that were sometimes present in the band’s past (moreso on the first album) make only a couple of appearances on this record. There’s nothing wrong with her growls, but the album is better without them because it makes the release more coherent and consistent. Though I don’t pay too much attention to lyrics, the lines I have caught during this album make it seem like many of these songs are about varying mental health issues, which is a bit more interesting than some of the band’s earlier themes.

The second half of the album doesn’t differ in terms of approach, but it’s more of a mixed bag when it comes to memorability. The riffs and solos are definitely very competent, as are Jill’s vocals, but there’s quite as infectious as “I Want To Wanna Wake Up”, for example. Still, you have to respect progress, and “Static” is an excellent showcase of it. The album is unlikely to win over new fans, but this record will sway anyone who was on the edge beforehand. As someone who could appreciate the band even at their weaker moments, “Static” is a huge winner in my book!

Be sure to check out and like Huntress on Facebook!

Highlights

"Flesh"

"Brian"

"I Want To Wanna Wake Up"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Written by Scott

Interview With Jill Janus of Huntress

Having recently reviewed "Starbound Beast", I wanted to follow up with the band about their new album and their upcoming trek on Mayhem Festival! Read below to find out what Jill Janus had to say about this exciting time for Huntress!

SFM: Let’s start with the new record. “Starbound Beast” is awesome! What makes this album different from “Spell Eater”?

Jill Janus: Thank you! We are evolving, and this record is more thoughtful and melodic than Spell Eater. After touring relentlessly together last year, we all have a new telepathic unity. It's part of the plan, I wanted to give Napalm Records three records within three years that represent the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Starbound Beast is the Mother phase. Beware the Crone. She's horny, old and vicious - she's up next.

SFM: The song “I Want To Fuck You To Death” is already well known for being co-written by Lemmy. What was it like working with Lemmy, and how have Motorhead influenced Huntress’ sound (if at all)?

JJ: Man, Lemmy is a God. I'm still in awe over this. I asked him to write a song for the new Huntress record and he did. We're buddies and meet up at the Rainbow whenever we're both in town. When he handed me the lyrics to I Want To Fuck You To Death, my first reaction was "This is the most romantic thing a boy has ever done for me." Who wouldn't want to die that way? Lem wrote the lyrics, Huntress wrote the music. I wanted the chorus to be melodic, not trashy or riot girl crap. To me, this is a love song. 

SFM: What can you tell us about the music video for “Zenith” that will be released soon?  

JJ: Get ready to be tripped the fuck out. Seriously. Get your bong packed, motherfuckers.

SFM: You’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign to help out with bus costs for Mayhem Festival. You’ve raised just over half of the money needed at this point. Is this a better or worse response than you expected?

JJ: The response has be amazing. What has been most rewarding for me is truly getting to connect our fans. They are much more than fans. They are the future. I’ve found a new respect for the power of the music enthusiast. There is a stigma that goes along with crowd funding, we were very careful in the presentation -- we kept our humility. We aren’t pretending to be more than we are, we’ve had some amazing opportunities handed to us. But Huntress is still in the infant stages of this business and we can’t afford to fly around the world or be part of a monstrous production like Mayhem Fest without additional funding. The fans are lifting us to the next level. Napalm Records has been tremendous for Huntress, but they are an indie label and I can’t bleed them dry. The fans are my blood, there’s no end to the life they supply. I adore them. I live for them.

SFM: What is the best perk left that fans can still buy?

JJ: The Heshin' Perk -- it's $500 and gets you two tickets to any Mayhem show, hang out with the band including a song dedication on stage, Donky Kong Jr tournament on our bus, a water balloon fight at after the show, and signed Starbound Beast CD DigiPak, Starbound Beast Vinyl and limited edition Huntress poster, plus unlimited High Fives. We've sold a few already. Still my favorite perk!

SFM: It seems like more and more bands are going the route of Indiegogo or Kickstarter for album releases and touring. Do you think that this method will continue to increase in popularity?

JJ: Metal fans are the future for Huntress. They are the true music enthusiasts and they are much more important than numbers. I respect my fans more than ever, this crowd funding campaign has opened my eyes to a new world. It's much greater than we can comprehend right now.

SFM: Going back to Mayhem Festival: you guys have done some big North America tours before, but never on a summer festival tour. How do you think this North American festival will compare to the ones you’ve played in Europe (Sweden Rock)?

JJ: We did tour with Metalfest last summer in Europe. So we do have a grasp of summer touring productions, but nothing at the level of Mayhem in America. Most of all, we are looking at Mayhem like summer school. We will be stoned most of the time, but hope to learn a lot and score high!

SFM: After Mayhem Festival, the band is playing a string of dates on the way to Heavy MTL. What’s next for Huntress after these shows? 

JJ: I desperately want to tell you, but I can't! There's some mega tour action planned for Huntress after Mayhem but I can't talk about it yet. One thing I have learned is don't fuck up. I never deliver the goods until I see the green light, and I never give up too much mystery. Wait for it. And keep your goals away from trolls.

Thanks to Jill Janus for the interview! Check out their Indiegogo Campaign, and their Facebook Page!

Huntress - Starbound Beast

It’s only been about a year since the release of “Spell Eater”, but Huntress is back with their second record “Starbound Beast”. If the imagery and album title don’t give it away, this record is really meant to be quite similar to the debut; however, in many ways, I found it to be an evolution of the first album, rather than simply a copy of it.

The biggest draw (or deterrent, depending on your point of view) to this band is still Jill Janus’ vocals. There’s no doubt that she is a skilled vocalist, but on the debut record, she was a bit ambitious with her vocal work. On “Starbound Beast” she tends to have a better understanding of her range, and she avoids making big changes in pitch in her vocal lines. The end result is a more focused, better sounding performance than before. She still makes use of her black metalish screams on occasion, but primarily sings cleanly throughout the record. Speaking of black metal, that influence has been dropped from the riffing. While it was mainly prevalent on the title track of “Spell Eater”, it is rarely found on “Starbound Beast”. Instead, the band opts for the more straightforward traditional heavy metal sound. There is plenty of galloping, rhythmic chugging, and even some faster alternate-picked sections. Strangely, the faster songs are placed on the second half of the record. Both “Zenith” and “Oracle” bring the speed like no other tracks on the album. The former is a definite highlight, both for its thrashy riffing and memorable chorus.

The most contentious song on “Starbound Beast” is likely to be “I Want To Fuck You To Death”, which was co-written by Lemmy. This is my favourite song on the album, mainly because of the chorus. The guitars perfectly synchronize a harmony that allows Jill Janus’ melodic, calming vocals to take over. The rest of the song is a standard Huntress tune, but the chorus is too catchy to be denied. Another popular choice is likely to be the title track, “Starbound Beast”. The vocal line in the verse of this song sounds very familiar (almost Iron Maidenish), but I can’t quite put my finger on what it sounds like. It’s possible that it’s just so well written that I imagine Maiden writing it themselves.

With “Starbound Beast”, Huntress has greatly improved on their debut record. There are more standout songs, and the band seems to have a better handle on how to blend their unique sound. What I think really made the difference between “Starbound Beast” and “Spell Eater” is that this new record sounds a bit more restrained and refined. It seems like the band put a bit more time into writing quality songs, even if it meant that they weren’t all blistering fast. The more I listen to this album, the more I enjoy it! If you wrote off the band after their first record, you are missing out on some quality metal!

Be sure to check out and like Huntress on Facebook!

Highlights

"I Want To Fuck You To Death"

"Zenith"

"Spectra Spectral"

Final Rating

4.25/5 or 85%. 

Written by Scott 

Huntress - Spell Eater

With the huge number of revivalist bands around today, it’s pretty difficult to get noticed. There aren’t too many of these bands that have a noticeable trait because, let’s be honest here, there’s only so much you can do with straightforward heavy metal. Huntress, however, have set themselves apart in a couple of ways. Firstly, there is their obsession with the occult. Lyrically, the band is interested in anything dark, and it aptly brings back memories of Mercyful Fate. While this is interesting, what everyone is more enticed by is the operatic banshee known as Jill Janus on lead vocals. Beautiful on both the eyes and the ears, this woman has helped the band catch the attention of headbangers everywhere. On their first album, "Spell Eater", Huntress lays the ground for what should be a long and enjoyable career.

As the song titles and lyrics imply, this music is dark. The riffing is not too different from other classic bands, but there is a dark, foreboding atmosphere throughout the album. Many of the leads are crafted to be evil instead of flashy, and Janus’ vocals are likewise used to enhance the atmosphere. Not only does she scream, shrill, and sing, but she also adds harsh vocals that include both black metal (“Eight of Swords”) and death metal (“Sleep and Death”) styles. Appropriately, the music even gets extreme at times. The opening track, “Spell Eater”, has blast beats and tremolo picking, yet manages to remain relatively melodic and catchy at the same time. Likewise, “Eight of Swords” gets pretty intense towards the end and is definitely the standout track. The downside to this album is that some of the riffs just aren’t that good. Huntress cannot play the same simple heavy metal riffs that bands like White Wizzard love because of the ominous tone of the music. Unfortunately, this means that it can be more difficult to find an interesting riff. With that said, none of the riffs are bad, they just aren’t memorable.

Huntress is definitely a band that you will hear from in the future. With an amazing singer, and a unique sound, they are going to stick around; however, they’re going to have to step it up on their next release. "Spell Eater" is a good album, but it relies primarily on the vocal skills of Jill Janus to keep the music interesting. Everyone has heard metal that is dark and evil, but Huntress has the potential to make it more interesting. If the combination of clean and harsh vocals were used more often, it could very well make for an influential album. Regardless of what I want to hear, "Spell Eater" still delivers solid metal. If the title track or “Eight of Swords” doesn’t sway you, this release probably isn’t for you. There are certainly some other gems on the album (“Senecide”, “Aradia”), but the two singles are definitely the best.

Be sure to check out and like Huntress on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/HuntressKills

Highlights:

“Spell Eater"

“Eight of Swords"
"Aradia"

Final Rating:

4/5 or 80%

Written by Scott