Connecticut-based trio Hellrazor are like an icy cold shower for your ears: equal parts bracing and refreshing. Led by guitarist Michael Falcone (Speedy Ortiz, Ovlov), their scuzzy guitars and crisp harmonies recall everything great that existed on the fringes of late-80s grunge and lo-fi – Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, Archers of Loaf. But while those lofty names are often thrown around relatively new bands as approximations, Hellrazor are their modern peers; loud, abrasive and loaded with the kind of guitar solos typically associated with YouTube compilations of skate videos lifted from a litany of VHS tapes.Their first full-length, Satan Smile, is out on November 4 through New Professor Music. In the meantime, please enjoy a cut from it titled "Covered In Shit" below while reading our Q&A with the band.
Hellrazor: Hi. We woke up this morning and blasted metal.Word. Apparently Hellrazor sort of started with Jon [Hartlett, drums] and Julian [Wahlberg, bass] playing a set of Rancid covers… Please explain.
The first time we played together was in a band called Sandwich. We played one house show in a garage that we found out needed another band the day prior. Jon, Julian and Michael's cousin had been joking about covering "And Out Come The Wolves" in its entirety. Michael got called to play drums. We basically already knew the songs, so we practiced once and played the show the next day.How would you describe Hellrazor to someone who's never heard you before?
Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.Have you ever had anything in your own life covered in shit? If so, what was it?
If you mean literal shit, then yes. One of our other bands recorded recently at a studio that had a septic problem and the floor somehow got covered in dirty water.Nice. What makes the perfect guitar solo?
The guitar player from Mad Max on a mountain top playing out of a football-field-sized amp. Anything less than that is imperfect.Couldn't agree more. Thanks!Press shot courtesy of THATbirdDID.
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Noisey: Hi Hellrazor the band, what's up? What's the first thing you did this morning?
Hellrazor: Hi. We woke up this morning and blasted metal.Word. Apparently Hellrazor sort of started with Jon [Hartlett, drums] and Julian [Wahlberg, bass] playing a set of Rancid covers… Please explain.
The first time we played together was in a band called Sandwich. We played one house show in a garage that we found out needed another band the day prior. Jon, Julian and Michael's cousin had been joking about covering "And Out Come The Wolves" in its entirety. Michael got called to play drums. We basically already knew the songs, so we practiced once and played the show the next day.How would you describe Hellrazor to someone who's never heard you before?
Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.Have you ever had anything in your own life covered in shit? If so, what was it?
If you mean literal shit, then yes. One of our other bands recorded recently at a studio that had a septic problem and the floor somehow got covered in dirty water.Nice. What makes the perfect guitar solo?
The guitar player from Mad Max on a mountain top playing out of a football-field-sized amp. Anything less than that is imperfect.Couldn't agree more. Thanks!Press shot courtesy of THATbirdDID.