Hymns

For Fans Of: Blakfish, Bear vs. Shark, Bars of Gold, post-punk

Following the breakup of Blakfish in 2010, vocalist and guitarist Samuel Manville’s thirst for music-making was not quenched.  In fact, Manville was so parched that he formed two new bands, Vietwow! and Hymns and continued to write for his solo project. I recently discovered Hymns and was extremely impressed with the style of post-punk they play. The two-piece, comprised of Manville on guitar and vocals and Peter Reisner, formerly of SOS, on drums, have released several songs and news of an album (supposedly a double LP) is imminent. Out of the collection of released tracks, single “A Punch to the Temple” is the most impressive. Manville’s vocals resemble Marc Paffi’s in places, and the bright, punchy guitar complements the percussion perfectly. Several tracks are available for free download, “Honesty” at Project Rodney (where you can also stream “A Punch to the Temple”) and a live demo of “Lily” up onSoundcloud. The former is a heart-wrenching acoustic track in which Manville pleads, “Give me some honesty / And you can have anything you ask of me”. The latter is a much noisier piece of post-hardcore excellence showcasing Reisner’s percussive skill. Both are worth the download.  You can also watch the music video for “A Punch to the Temple” after the break.

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