The Huguenots were a band that existed at some point during the late 1990's, or at least that is what I can conclude based on the limited information available on the band's history and their wardrobe in the select pictures available of the band - no offense. Members of the band have spent time in several popular acts, including Converge, The Explosion, and Piebald. Unfortunately, none are credited for specific contributions in The Huguenots, though the tone and style of guitar work very much hints that Kurt Ballou, now of Converge, was behind the fretwork and noodlings on the guitar.
Most of the songs of this discography release last between the one-and-a-half and two-minute mark. Only a handful of the reach beyond the three-minute mark. Based on those timeframes, you can expect short, intense, blasts of music
except for that occasional arty-noise-experiment.
"Postscript" starts things off and is a feverish and frantic hardcore punk number with hints of metal to its sound. "Jefferson High" draws a bit more from guitar-driven rock groups like Drive Like Jehu, or more recent post-hardcore acts like At the Drive-In.
And while there is the softer side of things, The Huguenots mainly dabble in the more aggressive. "Bentwreck" and "Send it Airmail" are chaotic numbers; the structure of these songs are very linear to that of something heard in Converge. "Patient Zero" draws resembles to that of the noisy screamo sound utilized by Angel Hair, City of Caterpillar or Circle Takes the Square.
"Young Pretender" is the first track to run past the three-minute mark; in fact it lasts beyond four. The song again hints at the post-hardcore style of songwriting, focusing particularly on the guitar skills of Ballou.
The Huguenots were very much a part of a cross-section of hardcore during the 90's. But rather that be just a number in the crowd, they also found ways to make their music stand out. None is more notable that that of "Trance Like," which goes so far as to feature a saxophone.
The Huguenots continue to unleash an unrelenting attack of noisy, art-punk and hardcore as we are exposed to their work on this discography. One thing that makes these songs so intriguing is their place in time in regards to the music that came before and after them. They've seemed to bridge the gap between the early traditional screamo bands and the ones that incorporate these into slightly more marketable forms today.
Several of the songs appear on here twice, suggesting multiple recording sessions/releases. I know there was a split with 7% Solution, and have heard rumbles of other releases, but cannot confirm these as little information in regards to the band's history and release schedule has been documented. So, unless you were an avid follower of the band the first time around, it's difficult to say when and where these recordings came from.
Like most discography releases, this one collects together a series of hard to find recordings into one neat package. I'd previously only heard the band's name mentioned in regards to Converge, never actually heard these recordings. The Huguenots will likely appeal to a niche market of hardcore kids - those into the experimental 90's scene or those uber-fans of the individuals involved. I don't really fall into either of these, but I can definitely see myself throwing this on from time to time.
