THE
LITTLE BAND THAT COULD - Hytest (Independent)
It
seems few young bands are capable of playing both intricately written
and arranged high energy "garage' rock and merging this with
a kind of "'Gong Rock" that was initially made famous by the likes
of The Proton Energy Pills and 
Tumbleweed, but young trio Hytest manage this
and impress like few others.
There seems to be a prevailing trend for certain (if not many) young bands
to follow in and deliver that kind of funk meets rap meets metal rubbish
which US bands such as Korn and System of a Down have built "careers" on,
however Hytest prove the kind of sonic blueprint provided by a combination
of the likes of The Stooges, MC5, Radio Birdman, The Ramones, Blue Oyster
Cult, and Queens of the Stone Age is not entirely lost on the youth of today.
Hytest comprise vocalist/guitarist Michael Curley (younger brother of ex-Tumbleweed
bassist Jay Curley), vocalist/bassist (and "Star Wars" movie saga
fan) Luke Armstrong and drummer/vocalist Adam Rogan and their six track CDEP "The
little band that could" opens with "The Little Song
That Could": solid mid-tempo garage rock with shades of 60s British
RNB meets Rocket from the Crypt (ca "On a Rope") and clever use
of fuzz and harmony vocals. "Cellar Door" follows and raises the
tempo considerably as vocalist/bassist Luke begins to employ a Phil Anselmo-esque
(ex-Pantera) growl and features organ from guest Elea Logan (ex-Gazoonga
Attack / The Tremors) and is the kind of high energy garage rock the likes
of Radio Birdman and Asteroid B-612 should be most proud to claim as their
own.
"Shakedown '81" and "Front Row Fiasco "display the bands
ability for intricately written and arranged high energy garage rock, with
plenty of
dynamics and killer guitar work from guitarist Michael Curley. "Our
Town" is
the band's departure into heavy stoner rock, with vocalist/bassist Luke back
to delivering a growl, rather than standard rock-n-roll vocalising and in
the process staking a claim for delivering some of the best contemporary
stoner rock this reviewer is willing to rate.
"Drugstore Robbery" closes the EP in a high energy Ramones/Radio
Birdman inspired rage, with the guitarwork at times making subtle kinds of
references to the likes of Turbonegro and Blue Oyster Cult. Hytest's "The
little band that could" CDEP proves that this "little
band" should go along way further many of their generation by drawing
on the best of the generations before. -
Simon Li
