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Upon receiving the demo from Polish experimental group The Hag, and popping this into my trusty CD player, I instantly came to the realization that I had no idea what I was in for. The sleeve that accompanies the disc was composed of a simple lime green construction paper, with a band logo, and overall as a package appeared to be the type of disc you might get as a handout from some young kid while walking out of a show. Needless to say my expectations were not at an all time high. However as the music began to come out of my speakers it was clearly evident that I better start to listen attentively. After several spins I was still found myself dumbfounded as to how to begin and describe this, and while I had a really difficult time deciphering how much I actually enjoyed this disc, I was absorbed as to how different it was from my recent listenings.
The vocalist shows a wide variety of range and not in the normal sort of way. At times he sings cleanly but also shows he can scream and most often his singing is electronically transposed so it sounds as if you are hearing a half man half machine. Frequently, it sounds as if he is not singing at all, rather just reciting his words as if he is reading from a prompt. Occasionally a female vocalist comes in to accompany. While there are definitely some interesting Middle Eastern sounding guitar riffs, they are not the driving factor to the music. There does seem to be a bit of an industrial feel to it, and yet this description only scratches the surface. The Hag use many computerized sounds, unpredictable time changes, and most notably, some extensive lyrical content, utilizing a rather vast vocabulary. Listening to this closely reveals that The Hag also have some strong psycedelia influence, and finding lyrics which state “as you lie there bemushroomed, listening to music and seeing visions, you know a soul-shattering experience that…mushrooms are divinely endangered...in the soft mother earth” clearly shows this.
As far as the songs go, I do not really find any super stand out tracks. The way this demo moves forward, it is as if the whole thing could be one giant song. While this band can be commended for their creativity, they still seem to be at a young stage where they need to focus and put all their ideas together to create a more concentrated effort. If anything though, this is an intriguing listen, and I’d be interested in hearing how these guys progress in the future.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Malady |
| 2. The Conqueror Worm |
| 3. Of No Serendipity |
| 4. The Extreme Unction |
| 5. Murmurs Of Aura |
| 6. Stiff |
| 7. Maladjusted |
: 22.54
| Buy other The Hag albums |
