There’s a bit on Salvo in which Hot Load singer Matt Trejo – also known as “Fuckhead” – yells “FUCK” as guitars cut out and drums continue their arm-ache. Any good music scholar – see Boethius or that guy who told Pink Floyd he thought they were too loud – would agree that this is the most hardcore thing in the world, and that’s a lovely ol’ thing, because Realized showcases much of what is so good about hardcore punk, and then some.
FUCK
I was a crafty bugger and decided to use the words “and then some”. Hot Load’s second album is a great punk album, but the band does strive to get more out of the genre than just punk whilst still being a garage band.
The album succeeds primarily by delving into speed metal (Exotic Weapon), and sort of crossover thrash (Hot Night). These moments capture the catharsis of letting it all out, letting that brooding weirdo demon inside of you nosedive through your mouth. Fuckhead’s humanistic roars drunkenly perpetuate, and upfront rhythms include snares that punch with oversized hands one could write sonnets on.
I don’t know why Trejo yells “FUCK” on Salvo – maybe I don’t want to know – but I can only assume, based on the moment itself, musically-speaking, that he has died and gone to D-Beat Heaven, the process of which is painful and deafening. If nothing else, it is emblematic of the album.
The band also merges hardcore punk with older rock n roll stylings, which may sound far from revelatory (in its infancy, punk was Elvis on drugs. So, Elvis, basically), but considering how sinister and droningly noisy Realized is, the combo feels distinct from Dead Kennedys doing the occasional surf riff.
Examples include Widowmaker’s pentatonic riffing and the title track’s Keith Richards blues-bending, but Blood Damage is the highlight of the “throwbacks”; everything is lawless – the evil, the noise – but suddenly, the coolest rock riff you ever hoid stumbles into the track like an accidental Allman.
Opener Petroleum Express embodies the basic style of Hot Load buried beneath the D-beat and rock n roll; uniquely-produced shouts that sound like they’re emerging suddenly from darkness, met by hooky guitars, whether power chords or tingly little fills. Realized itself, much like Petroleum Express, is unique and ridiculously unfiltered, featuring authentic sonic muscle and authentic feeling. Hot Load’s second album is an assorted nervous wreck.
Best tracks – Exotic Weapon – Hot Night – Salvo.
Rating – 8 out of 10
