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Hellsongs - Lounge
Take a look at the songs, the titles look familiar don't they? Hellsongs is a cover band from Gothenburg, Sweden that has their own way of interpreting the classics, as they transform them into something they call Lounge Metal. "Some describe us like metal listened to through a bale of cotton", that is how Hellsongs describe their music at their page at Myspace, and I guess that could be the ultimate way to explain how Lounge Metal sounds. The band started out in 2004 and has already, even though this EP is their first official release, been played in swedish as well as american radio and been featured in the nationally aired metal show Rundgång in swedish television. There are different ways of performing a cover song, you can either follow the original as closely as possible or make them into something of your own. Hellsongs do the latter with soft and laid back versions performed by acoustic guitar and organ that bring these songs into a totally new light. The only way of really knowing which song it is originally is to listen to the lyrics that are beautifully performed with the little vulnerable and soft voice from Harriet Ohlsson that further enhance the "through a bale of cotton" feeling. The songs are re-arranged in a really tasteful way and to hear Breaking The Law being gently caressed out on organ suddenly feels genius. And I don't think this is the way Lemmy intended Orgasmatron to be performed when he wrote it, but nevertheless it comes out great as a soft-pop song. And as the Iron Maiden fan I am, the version of Run To The Hills must be considered as my top pick on this EP, and it is also the one which comes closest to the original considering the vocal melodies. I don't know what to compare this to, swedish inhabitants
might know of Stina Nordenstam and Sophie Zelmani and that is somewhat
of a comparison while Norah Jones isn't that far away for comparisons
that are more international. Now, would this be good even if the songs
weren't covers? Yes it would, but I have to be honest and say that it
wouldn't be as good or not near as charming as it is now. But I must
say these cunning little versions are hard to resist, and this is a
perfect album to play for your non-metal friends while still getting
your dose of the classics.
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