The Hellacopters
Eyes Of Oblivion

LA RECENSIONE

Disappointment, bewilderment, and embarrassment.

These are the first words that came to mind while listening to the new work by the Swedish band.

"Because I have always been against reunions and new releases after so many years; and in the case of the Hellacopters, it has been 17 years since the previous album of new material Rock & Roll Is Dead from 2005;

Because the record label Nuclear Blast, which handled the production of the album, is synonymous with too much sonic cleanliness for me, too much "elegance" that does not suit at all the sonic catastrophe that these guys, led by Nicke Andersson, have been capable of in the past;

Because in the video I posted yesterday, the band appears, as good old Pinhead has rightly already pointed out, too cleaned up, sterile. In other words, banal and useless minutes;

Because I've read too many positive reviews, too much praise for a sound that in no way resembles the crash, the blood shed, the sonic disorder that characterized the first works of the combo. Is it possible that only Pinhead and I see it completely differently?;

Because Nicke's voice is too polished, refined; it doesn't attack, it doesn't bite at the ankles;

Because it is very true that Dregen, recently returned to the fold, is a great guitarist, but while listening (with very rare exceptions), I never hear a distorted note, an excess noise. Everything is perfect, everything flows...but come on, for goodness sake!!;

Because there must be a reason why the historical bassist Kenny Hakansson, one of the founders of the group in the now distant 1994, did not want to participate in the album: could he have smelled something fishy by any chance? I do think so;

Because, and here I conclude, Eyes Of Oblivion is too much of a showpiece; as they say in these cases, "the mountain gave birth to a mouse." And again: is it possible that they couldn't extend the playtime by adding a couple of tracks that are surely already ready to go? Why are there only 10 songs with the meager runtime of 34 minutes."

I do not rate the album, for the moment the disappointment of 2022.

Ad Maiora.