HUNTERS - Heavy Post-Punk With an Incredible Stage Presence

HUNTERS is making some incredible rock and roll and doing it with a strong DIY aesthetic that only adds to their success in the underground.  Their debut eponymous album released at the end of 2013 is a raw explosion of punk rock charged music that is both lyrically and musically diverse in its apparent simplicity.  Lead track “Narcissist” opens with a steady guitar riff that gets your head moving right away.  “Street Trash” has a hauntingly heavy bass line interspersed with fuzzed out guitars and a conflicting yet intriguing chorus of “I know what you want, I don’t know”.   Tracks like “She’s So” , “Undone” and “Wonder” have a slower tone with a loud/quiet/loud structure that makes them impossible not to scream/sing/scream the lyrics.  One of the heaviest tracks on the album “Seizure” has a crowd pleasing chorus of “HEY!” which makes it a classic sing-a-long with an amazing 60’s style guitar solo at 2:20 which incorporates some heavy post-punk style percussion.  HUNTERS is just the latest band to emerge from the superb Brooklyn scene which has produced other current post-punk heavyweights like The Men and Parquet Courts.  Lead singer Izzy Almeida sings back and forth with lead guitarist Derek Watson in a way that compliments each other while still allowing the focus to be on the music which is HUNTERS strong point no question.  While nothing revolutionary is going on here, the band has managed to craft a catchy sound and has become renowned in the underground for intense performances which should not be missed.  With Izzy contorting her body and writhing around on stage, all tangled up in the mic chord while still screaming her lyrics, and Derek often dropping to the ground while still shredding next to his amp to give the song that Nirvana style squeal, it’s easy to overlook the other two members of the band who quietly stand in the back and drive the music steadily forward.  I’m excited to hear HUNTERS future releases to see if they manage to break free of their relatively simple (yet powerful) song structure and produce a sophomoric effort that lives up to their talents and better incorporates the energy and intensity of their live performances.