Google Heihaizi and you will find a wikipedia entry telling you: “The term denotes children born outside the One child policy, or generally children who are not registered in the national household registration system.” Not exactly what I expected. I am not really sure what this name means for the band. Perhaps it just sounds cool to them. Perhaps they feel like unregistered children, people that exist, but are forgotten by the system. Who knows?
Let's kick this review of with a few boring facts. Heihaizi is a band from Zagreb, Croatia. This self titled album is their debut album. It has thirteen tracks and lasts less then 18 minutes. Before Heihaizi the bandmembers played in Ekebuba. I must admit, that didn’t mean much to me. After checking that band out, I can conclude that Heihaizi is a sharp turn into another direction. Comparing this album to Rat Bite, the Ekebuba album I checked out, this is a huge step forwards. Where Ekebuba played very fast garage punk/hardcore. No more of that. Although…
The speed is still here, this record is all about playing fast. Not a single song is over two minutes. A lot of the thirteen songs here are in fact even under one minute. Yet, it reminds me of a record that was released in the nineties. A record that had way longer songs and more groovy riffs. I am talking about Briljant, Hard En Geslepen the collaboration between Dutch hiphoppers Osdorp Posse and death metal band Nembrionic. If the riffs on their album were a bit more punky my comparison would make sense. The label points to Beastie Boys, which I also can understand. The biggest difference between both comparisons and Heihaizi is the intense speed.
The riffs employed on the album are good, but mainly serve as a base for the vocalists to add a new layer of rhythm to. The second half of the album offers a bit more variety riff wise, mainly by also adding a couple riffs that are a wee bit slower. This works wonders, especially because the band speeds up to their usual high pace during the song, adding a sense of dynamic that the A-side of the album misses at times. Now, let's talk about hip hop for a moment. If you were hoping for interesting beats, this is not the album for you. The foundation is punky hardcore riffs. No, the hip hop vibes enter the stage in the vocal department. I know next to nothing about hip hop, so I can not compare it to anything else. On this album we are talking about fast paced, with two vocalists that take turns.
The end result is a record that is incredibly catchy. By the time this album is finished your adrenaline levels are at least doubled and you’ll find yourself smiling your biggest smile. Well, either that, or perhaps you should check if you still have a pulse. Anyway, it is a short album, but that replay button is there for a reason, right? I can’t stress enough that this short and addictive album is highly recommended.
Songs to check: actually, being an album this short I would recommend just listen the whole album, however, if that is too much for you, start with “Drop”, “Stink” (the song made me think to myself: yeah, I get the Beastie Boys namedrop!), “Vile”
