Release Debut Full-Length, Night Terror, Today on Hydra Head!
The guitar jangle is extra-pretty. The heavy is extra-heavy. The tripartite harmonies thick and hardcore heartfelt. It's a big sound for just two ladies and a gentleman to make, but anyone familiar with Harkonen, These Arms Are Snakes, Roy, Lozen and Your Enemies Friends -- all current and former projects involving members of Helms Alee -- shouldn't be too surprised by the band's indescribable shitkicking abilities. - Prefixmag.com
We might only be a little more than halfway through 2008, but Night Terror should ultimately prove to be one of the year’s best debuts. - Stonerrock.com
Punk is dead. The cause of death was the mere act of giving it a name.
This carefully constructed form of rebellion was rendered null and void once it became synonymous with a specific sound and wardrobe choice. One could postulate that every genre of rock music is plagued by the same terminal ailment: the 20th century left us with the artistic baggage of a culture constantly craving the creation of something entirely new by name, yet reassuredly familiar in content. "Alternative" was really nothing of the sort. Grunge is interesting only for the sake of irony or nostalgia; electroclash went out of fashion as quickly as the clothing trends it was based on; and anyone with a half a brain should be skeptical of any new band that opts to place three parentheses))) at the end of it's name.
Resultingly, every band is born with a death sentence, but the prognosis is especially grim for any band that's quickly filed under the latest buzzword. Let that be a warning to any band describing themselves as "psych-folk". One
can only speculate what paths Helms Alee will wander during their journey from the cradle to the grave, but based on their birth one can only assume that it will be a long and curious life. The band gives it's listeners a wealth of sonic range to ponder and absorb between aural bludgeonings, but provides next to nothing in terms of contextual information.
What the hell is this noise anyway? Who are these people? What does "Helms Alee" even mean? Three part male-female vocal harmonies over alternating atonal driven dischord and fuzzed-out melodic pummellings? What the hell is anyone supposed to make of that? Comparisons inevitably seem inadequate, and we're not even given a handy list of influences on their website to give us a frame of reference. Where's the hip haircuts? Where's the telling modern design elements? Without these digestible icons, their poor audience might actually have to develop their own opinions and judge the band on the merits of the sounds they create, not the lexicon they endorse. Such factors guarantee that Helms Alee is destined to be unloved by the masses and revered by a small chosen few. - words by Brian Cook
Helms Alee features current and former members of Harkonen, These Arms Are Snakes, Roy, Lozen, and Your Enemies Friends. Album layout courtesy of Ryan Frederiksen (These Arms Are Snakes)
Upcoming vinyl from the band includes the limited Lionize b/w Truly 7" out this August on Hydra Head, as well as the upcoming vinyl version of Night Terror courtesy of Robotic Empire
Tracklist for Night Terror
1 Left Handy Man Handle
2 New Roll
3 A Weirding Away
4 Rogue's Yarn
5 Betwixt
6 Big Spider
7 Grandfather Claws
8 Paraphrase
9 Shhmna
10 Wild Notes
Helms Alee Live!
Aug 16 2008 The Holy Mountain club Seattle, Washington
Sep 13 2008 Hell’s Kitchen Tacoma, Washington
Sep 27 2008 King Cobra Seattle, Washington w/ Akimbo and Harvestman!
For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/helmsaleemusic
www.hydrahead.com
