Live: Hookworms

2nd March

Sound Control

7/10

The world is ending, and Hookworms are on hand to provide the soundtrack, with an almost post-apocalyptic nature to their sound’s take on psychedelic noise rock. The churning bass lines and futuristic synth pointing to a not too distant future in need of help.

While they make no illusions as to being the band that can provide help, they do make some great tunes to make up for it. Opening their evening at Sound Control with ‘Away/Towards’, the band introduce a heavy build up, edging carefully along slowly, subtly increasing tempo easing the crowd in to the performance. This teasing tempo continues through to their next few songs. Each gradually raises the energy in the room, subtly encouraging the crowd to move with the music, as does the accompaniment of screeching vocals that echo out to perfection and a loud bass that cuts strong through the rest of the sound.

All these elements give their sound a full tone that entrenches each song into a post-apocalyptic cry for help. Throughout the performance they delicately play with the mood of the crowd. Reducing the energy to an almost still silence before once again inching their onlookers back up to high levels of energy. This toying with the crowd only furthers the intensity of each peak and the ferocious nature of the crowd. These Leeds boys have been bashing about for the past five years and know how to get people going, rarely lingering on the same tempo for more than half a song with the crowd riding a rocky wave of high and low tempos.

The end of their performance was marked by a lack of an encore, dispensing with tradition whilst leaving the crowd wanting more. But the band had said all they wanted to say, and no part of it was traditional.