The Heavils – Heavilution – Review

The Heavils

Heavilution (Metal Blade)
by Martin Popoff

Cross Slipknot with Primus, Clutch, Queens Of The Stone Age, Masters of Reality, Mudvayne, Devildriver, and Thought Industry, and you get pretty close to The Heavils sound, an irreverent blast of thrashy, metalcored, progressive alternative rock played with the band’s patented custom nutbar guitars, which have evolved from toilet seat-based to truly beautiful, wood-sculpted instruments. Produced by Devin Townsend to punchy perfection (big improvement over the debut), Heavilution contains enough quirky sounds, tones, and vocal choices to make it valuable as an (in)fidelity clinic alone. But the songs are damn memorable too, sheened here and there with an irresistible yet sparingly used bit of pop candy, perhaps made metaphor by the inclusion of an obscure and late period Cheap Trick cover, the rockabilly-ish “Just Got Back.” It seems both The Heavils and CT are from Rockford, IL, and the guys are buds with Rick Neilsen’s son Miles, who cameos along with dad on the album. The big question is: Have The Heavils painted themselves into a corner with all those levels of eccentricity and self-amusement; or conversely, have the critics and potential fans put up a glass ceiling passable only by more “serious” bands?
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