Review Summary: Kurt Ballou's Euro Vacation
Kurt Ballou's impressive production CV is enough to warrant listening to any band he gets behind the mixing desk for. His work on Dutch band This Routine is Hell's
Howl sounds rather predictable while still boasting the sensational qualities of the Converge guitarist. Far-removed from metalcore, TRIH's brevity in post-hardcore construct is phenomenal (average song length is less than 2-minutes), not least because they stray far from the generic trappings of breakdowns and inaudible screeching. Numbers like "Nostalgia", "Shiver", and "Cancer" go a long way towards establishing replay value, each containing something in the way of an accessible guitar riff or pounding rhythmic sequence to worm into. With that being the case however,
Howl can feel undercooked at only 20-minutes long, while the metallic tendencies Kurt Ballou are well known for are all but abandoned for more subtle instrumentation and poignancy. If you found yourself appreciating Kvelertak's
Meir, then consider giving
Howl a listen to see a more restrained alternative.
