Hangman’s Chair – This is not supposed to be positive
Seeing a band developing and making better albums is always great for a reviewer. I am following Hangman’s Chair from their stoner/doom beginning; slowly they shift more and more to a doomy hardcore/grunge sound with the previous album ‘hope///dope///rope’ as the absolute highlight. In the gloomy atmosphere you really smell the dirtiness of Paris. With the Charlie Hebdo shootings last year I am sure it wasn’t supposed to get positive anyway?
The depression, the miserable situation and no future idea is perfectly matching the balanced songs that are kept shorter and easier to understand on the new album. Guitarist Cedric is singing better and better and his melodic voice can compete with Keith Caputo from the downers of Life of Agony or Jonah Jenkins from Only Living Witness. This attitude is combined with the junky feeling of Alice in Chains and the gothic ethos of Type of Negative.
Still they have picked up these influences and made an own sound of it; the ten songs are all killers and no fillers. “Cut Up Kids” is the album teaser while in “Flashback” the band really show its emotional side going towards deep heartbreaking territories. Still the heavy doom riffs are there to bang your fucking head. “No One Says Goodbye Like Me” has a typical long guitar solo only Hangman’s Chair knows how to do.
When I listen to this record I still have to think about their amazing show at Slow End Fest in Venlo. It already has been too long since the band played the Netherlands. Promoters please do something and bring these heavy outfits from the dirty streets from Paris to a filthy club in the Netherlands. Hangman’s Chair deserves the attention even more with “This is supposed not to be positive”. Great cover artwork too, in a typical classical French style!
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