5ive - Hesperus
May 1, 2008 by caareteam
Artist: 5ive
Album: Hesperus
Label: Tortuga
Rating: 9.5
Reviewer: David Houssein
Cover Picture:
Band Contact: http://www.myspace.com/thereal5ive
Track listing:
1. Gulls
2. Big Sea
3. Kettle Cove
4. Heel
5. Polar 70
6. News I
7. News II
I first heard 5ive shortly after the release of their second full length ‘The Telestic Disfracture’ and it must be said that I was baffled, excited and bedazzled in equal measures. Many years have passed, I’ve written about them on many occasions and seen them live three times, but it doesn’t get any easier. 5ive are a very difficult listen
Imagine a depraved orgy of manipulated and sludgy guitar abuse clashing brutally with a very uncomfortable backdrop of punishing drums and you’ve almost got it. Produced by Andrew Schneider [Cave In, Daughters, Scissorfight], ‘Hesperus’ is a very, very dark record and 5ive have elegantly captured every mood, intricacy and epic soundscape with style that is second to none. Opening song ‘Gulls’ has thick layers of Ben Carr’s trademark noisetastic riffs over the top of a, dare I say, more conventional rhythm, but make no mistake as 5ive have definitely no lost their unique charm.
Traditionally, 5ive have always had quite a progressive feel about them, and this is still the case. What’s really different about 5ive now is that they’ve dipped their toes into the murky world of, dare I say, convention. That’s not to say that 5ive are now writing 3 minute, verse-chorus-verse radio hits, but ‘Gulls’ has a less spontaneous fell to it, while ‘Heel’ is a downbeat, acoustic break from the prevailing sludgy mess. This doesn’t last long though as the aptly titled ‘Polar 70’ is a cold and dark journey through mountains of effect pedals and subtle intricacies, while the two epic news pieces, ‘News I’ and ‘News II’, clock up over 20 minutes of psychedelic jam between them.
People often wonder how on earth two men can make such over powering music, and the truth is we can only guess. ‘Hesperus’ is a truly challenging and satisfying listen. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but for those looking for a band who challenge everything you thought you knew about guitar music, who effortlessly push the boundaries of what is even possible with just two instruments and who’ll make your ribcage rattle with every riff, 5ive are a wet dream.
