Album Review: Hellions – Rue (UNFD)

Following up their excellent 2016 album, Opera Oblivia comes the five-piece pop-punk/alternative rock band, Hellions. Entitled Rue, the 12 track album is a polished mix of angst and feel-good rock groove.

The circus tune of the short intro (Blueberry) suggest that Rue is going to be a fun album and happily Hellions don’t let us down… most of the time.

The upbeat bounce of Odyssey starts things well enough even if the chorus is a bit of a miss but it’s on X (Mwah) that the beat really gets going. Energetic hardcore-style vocals fired off alongside group singing of the chorus with super-catchy riffs. This is the Hellions that captured the imagination on their previous release.

Proving to be able to turn anything into a catchy as hell tune, Smile with its repeated ‘I’m ready to run, are you ready’ lyric gets under the skin in a good way.

Then the title track is Hellions at their biggest, a gorgeous track that has a sense of epic emotion about it. This is a fist in the air kind of song.

(Theatre of) serves as continuation of the circus theme and an introduction to The Lotus, a high energy track that even has a throwback moment to older Hellions music. It’s brilliantly done too.

The only really major misses come at the latter end of the album with Get Up! and Harsh Light. the former is a track that doesn’t ignite the same passion felt elsewhere. There’s some interesting guitar hooks hidden away in it but they’re not easy to spot. While the latter is just a little bit rubbish.

It ends well though with 26, a return to the quality rhythms, hot-fire vocals and catchiness that encapsulates a lot of the album.

Hellions – Rue Full Track Listing:

1. (Blueberry)
2. Odyssey
3. X (Mwah)
4. Smile
5. Furrow
6. (Cocoon)
7. Rue
8. (Theatre of) (featuring Luna)
9. The Lotus
10. Get Up!
11. Harsh Light
12. 26

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Rue is out now and available via all major stores and streaming services.