For the life of me, I cannot think of too many bands from the New Orleans area. I can think of even less in the way of bands that really project so much of the New Orleans sound as Haarp. From “The Filth”’s first track, “The Rise, The Fall” all the way out to the later reaches of the album (in missives like “Minutia” and “The Fall, The Rise”), there is a sense that the band lives and breathes N’awlins.
This metal act takes on a similar diverse set of musical influences, whether it be straightforward thrash metal, the sludgy doom and gloom stuff, or even more classic rock interpretations of the style. “The Blue Chamber Painted Red” has a similarly strong set of influences, with Haarp infusing it with all of the substance and feel of the late-nineties. While production is not a part of the band per se, the production on “The Filth” is sufficiently strong to let each constituent part of the act shine as brightly as possible.
“The Filth” continues to chug along, with a song like “Peerless” shaking off any dust that may have settled in the meantime. The solo that opens up the track is nothing less than amazing, and forces the different band mates to ratchet up their output accordingly. The band ends their “The Filth” with the flipped-title track “The Fall, The Rise”, bringing nice closure to the album. With quick touches on some of the album’s many different stylistic nods and approaches, Haarp ensures that they will be around for a long time. The band members may have cut their teeth in the New Orleans scene for a number of years, but I have little doubt in my mind that this act may just be each’s best yet. If you want metal that, while unique, is infused with all of the different twists and turns the style has taken over the last fourty years, pick up “The Filth” today.
Top Tracks: The Rise, The Fall, The Blue Chamber Painted Red
Rating: 8.0/10
Haarp – The Filth (CD) / 2010 Housecore / 9 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/haarpnola / http://www.thehousecorerecords.com