For their second album, BAD STAR, HIMALAYAS aren’t pulling any punches! Habemus bangers extravaganza, so let’s rejoice!
BAD STAR – HIMALAYAS
After a very strong debut in 2023, Cardiff-based band HIMALAYAS are back with BAD STAR. On this new record, the band continues in the bold aesthetic they introduced two years earlier. The thing is, this time the quartet have turned everything up a notch, and the result is brilliant. And full of striking contrasts. The artwork alone shifts from black to white, from full-body shot to close-up portrait, and moves from the imagery of hell to that of the heavens. Musically, it’s an album for those who love the heavy and the poetic, the raw and the cathartic, the tender and the cinematic.
Beneath The Barrel kicks off the album with a dark atmosphere and a slow tempo. Joe Williams’ vocals take their time to enter, emerging through an intriguing and hazy soundscape. Guitars, bass, and drums gradually build up on the chorus, and the pressure steadily rises until the song hits its midpoint. Then everything becomes more intense and powerful. This track alone makes the album a standout! HIMALAYAS pick up right where they left off with From Hell To Here, now armed with added experience and artistic maturity.
What follows is a cascade of riffs, each more addictive than the last, with Hung Up, Cave Paintings, What If…? We can clearly feel the influence of their predecessors from Sheffield, Brighton, Plymouth, and beyond. Thankfully, HIMALAYAS set themselves apart with lyrics and themes delivered through a sound that has real character, not just a copy. Heavy Weather changes the pace, more contemplative this time, always serving the atmosphere. This one shifts between moments of anxiety and strength, something at times indescribable. Surrender and, later on, in a different style, Twisted Reflections, are great examples of that. The sensual Nothing Higher touches on pure instinct, which then flips into punk mode with the excellent Afterlife. HIMALAYAS close BAD STAR with yet another banger, A Brand New God, lifting us up into the heavens. The result? An album with imagery as rich as its riffs are deep. Not to be missed!
The band will start their UK tour at the end of the month.
