Kill Hannah - Wake Up the Sleepers Review

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 09.29.2009

An eclectic mix of genres and an eccentric vocalist make for a fun new record for industrial dance rockers Kill Hannah.



Kill Hannah - Wake Up the Sleepers
Review by Daniel Wilcox

Mat Devine – vocals
Dan Weise – guitar
Greg Corner – bass
Elias Mallin - drums

Track listing:
1. Radio
2. Snowblinded
3. New York City Speed
4. Living in Misery
5. Strobe Lights
6. Why I Have My Grandpa’s Sad Eyes
7. Tokyo (Dance in the Dust)
8. Mouth to Mouth
9. Vultures (Be There for Me)
10. Escape Artistry
11. Acid Rain
12. Laika
13. Promise Me

In terms of their sound, Chicago-based outfit have always fallen somewhere in between the industrial grit of Nine Inch Nails and the feel-good feel of the dance floor. About a year ago, however, frontman Mat Devine promised something a little heavier. Devine stated that the record would be “aggressive and heavier than the others. But I am confident fans will enjoy it as we are 200% prepared so we know what to include and not to include. We've always intended to make a heavy album and this is our time." There time it may be, but heavy this record is not. The opening track “Radio” is full of pretty crunching riffs but outside of that, the band more or less stay true to their trademark, futuristic sound, although that may not be a bad thing because the album definitely delivers in other areas.

The aforementioned “Radio” is undoubtedly a great way to kick off the album, its fun opening riff dissolving into fun, poppy choruses that are just made for the dance floor. It is, however, a little down beat for Kill Hannah, but the band rectifies that with a much more psychedelic and trippy number titled “Snowblinded.” Its lyrics are splendidly simple, but not in a way that shows the band can’t write songs; these are more affecting and direct lyrics, Divining crooning, “I just want you to know, I think you’re beautiful / I just need you to know how much I care / I just want you to know, you’re fucking beautiful.” The lyrics get much less serious on “New York City Speed,” as Divine demands, “Dance to the rhythm boy, and die young / But make sure we’re having fun.” And that’s essentially what the entire record is, a ton of fun.

Fans of the band will obviously be familiar with, and presumably enjoy, Devine’s vocals, but I can certainly see why others may not. It’s a pretty sensual, yet at times frustrating sound he produces that sounds like it’s been heavily influenced by Placebo’s Brian Molko, who I am a huge fan of by the way. Most of the time Devine stays on the right side of a fine line, keeping his voice from becoming grating by hitting some pretty big notes at times. It’s not a vocal performance that dominates the record, or even takes centre stage, but it is one that’s memorable in that it’s one of the most recognizable voices in rock. The acoustic ballad “Living in Misery,” cheesy and cliché as it is, is a great showcase of his talents.

The band’s trump card, however, has to be its ability to take influences from a whole host of musical genres, and combine them seamlessly to make their own unique sound. “New York City Speed” borrows heavily from 80s synthpop, while many of the other tracks such as “Tokyo” are pure dance hits, making use of tons of electronics, synthesizers and the like. There’s also some pretty good riffs scattered about and some fairly accomplished drumming going on. “Strobe Lights” is worth checking out for its guitar solo alone. While mixing sounds, Devine also mixes things up lyrically, at times making them melancholy, dark and intimate without seeming too effeminate, while at others making them cheesy and fun, yet still imaginative.

Essential downloads: "Snowblinded," "New York City Speed," "Strobe Lights," "Acid Rain" and "Promise Me."

The 411: While its a very accomplished record, Kill Hannah have very much played it safe with their new record, possibly due to the pressure that was put on them by their label to get a new record out by the end of the year. Nevertheless, this a hell of a catchy album and something that you can dance to, rock out to, or just kick back and chill to. You'll hate it if you let the vocals bother you, but otherwise there's a lot to like here, both musically and lyrically. Once Chicago's best kept secret, Kill Hannah could potentially get real big with this record as it's sure to Wake up the Sleepers if nothing else.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]