Hell Sweet Hell was my introduction to Hungary’s The Hellfreaks who have been on this crazy ride with, essentially, Shakey Sue and various guitarists, bassists, and drummers since recording their first demo in 2009 and winning the Hungarian national “Program For National Contemporary Music Culture” competition from 180 entrants that very same year.
Music is not only all-inclusive: it is all pervasive. Sue found herself having to make a difficult choice at the age of just 14 when, as a professional gymnast, a nasty landing resulted in career-ending spinal surgery. The hole left by gymnastics was readily filled by music and, by 2009 she had found a chemistry with Bloody Holly on the upright, Dániel (Yellow Spots, Csók És Könny) Schleckman on drums, and Yoda (Motivation) Surfer on guitars. The Hellfreaks were born!
Sue brought the a version of the band back to the 2009/2010 roots with “Astoria” (Wolverine Records, 2016) after a short sojourn, but with the new record and line-up came a little more edge and metal (Rope) with the punk / rockabilly (Burn the Horizon) and a Twisted Sister-styled conversion from the mild mannered trying to go along with society to the release of the inner rebel regardless of where they happen to find themselves. Some excellent development for the band’s sound and direction but still the main tenets were retained with Tamás Bánhegyi on guitars, Gabi Domján on bass, and Adam Zzumper in the engine-room.
“God on the Run” (Sunny Bastard Records) is the band’s attempt at setting 2020 up as a break-out year, with the fifth single from the album, Doldrum Dynasty, released late in the year to get us to forget all the negativity this year has generated. The current line-up has Sue up front as the remaining founder and basis of the band, Gabi Domján back into the lineup for the bottom-end, József “Jozzy” Takács on guitars, and Béla Budai powering on behind the drum kit.
A great smile spread over my face when I first heard Hell Sweet Hell as I was taken back to my first experience at Macquarie University of the sweaty, sweaty, full-on punkabilly experience of The Fireballs, reinforced especially by that slapping upright-bass sound. There is nothing held back by this powerhouse four-piece. The brutality and power of this record matches anything I have heard in the punk and metal genre this year; in fact, this is a new direction for a band who, on the strength of Doldrum Dynasty, have steered more toward the metal end of music while still retaining their psycho-punk and rockabilly foundations. This is the rockingest song of the month and needle-drops on other tracks, including Witches Heal, Adrenalized and, my favourite from the collection, Men In Grey, set a tone that includes some great new and mature direction for, perhaps, a new pop, rock, punk, metal genre that includes sounds from Pennywise, RAMMSTEIN, Carmilla, Evanescence, and much, much more!
This surely is the breakout record for this band! Hopefully, the current lock-downs won’t harm the exposure they are due throughout the coming festival season! There is nothing freaky about The Hellfreaks except their out-and-out improvement, development, growth: call it what you will; between Astoria and God! They are genuinely excellent proponents of this genre of music and are more than deserving of your time and attention!!
Sources include: discogs, de.m.wikipedia, and everybody.wiki.