Half Life

Hornbill

Hey man, are you okay? Because there's a lot to be concerned about on this new Hornbill record Half Life. Depression and anxiety boil over into a thirty-four minute tirade of self-loathing that is frankly uncomfortable to listen to given how desperate and blunt these lyrics are. Hornbill aren't ones for subtlety, I mean, just look at the tracklist; all one word song titles that summarize the emotional baggage our subject is carrying. Themes of hyper-fixating on one's mistakes and character flaws (Haunted and Flaws), feeling like there's no clear direction in life and that we are just wasting away (Spiraling and Decay), the perception that we are this giant weight on the shoulders of the people around us (Burdens), and to a more alarming extent, expressing the desire to not be on this physical plane anymore (Haunted and Fade) are all explored on Half Life. Despite the severe lack of nuance that would help make these messages a little more - I don't know - palatable, you have to give it to Hornbill for their bravery in being as transparent about their feelings as they possibly could. Sure, it is incredibly melodramatic, but from someone who has experienced bad days where I'm fighting similar negative thoughts, this is pretty accurate to what our brains say to us in those vulnerable moments. For that aspect, this record is quite relatable.

Another thing working for Hornbill is that their ADHD, melodic mathcore, pop-punk Frankenstein heavily supports a record that tackles these themes in their lyrics. The band's M.O. are bright and chipper melodies with frequent interruptions of noodly guitar runs, wacky electronics, dissonant guitar stabs, and a bunch of other crazy sounds. These sonic details are so intrusive, much like the negative thoughts that bombard our brain when we are desperately seeking inner peace and serenity. On a more technical level, I'm just really impressed with the musicianship Ryan Shreeve and Bob Godden display, stringing together so many disjointed phrases while still keeping the train on the rails. There are a few outliers in the tracklist, however, that aren't complete sensory overload. Spiraling, Decay, and Trapped are certainly some of the tamer, more pop-punk flavoured tracks, and Burdens is actually quite the soothing (sonically speaking) guitar ballad.

Another big and unique part of this record is the number of guest vocal appearances that were incorporated into Half Life. Nearly every track features a different vocal guest and they all compliment their respective songs very well. Some standouts for me were definitely Liam King on Spiraling, who doesn't have your typical nasal inflection (common in pop-punk) and can also push to get a pretty satisfying vocal fry. I also really liked Davon Hernandez's unhinged screams on Obsession which nicely counter-balance the sticky sweet melodies in the chorus. If you'll allow me to add, and this could really be a stretch, I like to think that the inclusion of all these wonderful guests is something of a metaphor; that when we are at our lowest, most vulnerable moments, a strong support system, community, friend group, can make a world of difference in helping us realize our potential and motivate us to keep pushing forward.

I don't know the two fine gents in Hornbill so I can't say for sure whether Half Life is an exploration into the thoughts and feelings regarding depression and anxiety, or a genuine release of real feelings that either members could be battling with. Regardless, I hope that the experience in assembling this record was a cathartic one and that they feel proud in the execution of their performances, the sounds they captured, and especially the vulnerability displayed. As an aside, I feel like this record comes at a good time considering the recent rise of the 'manosphere,' who attempt to uphold these really toxic masculine traits such as not showing our feelings or talking about our mental health. This record is the antithesis to that message which is another thing I appreciate about it. That's a lot of rambling, but the gist is that Half Life is a good record. Go give it a shot if you're into some chaotic, melodic, heartfelt punk and hardcore.